New Delhi: The Centre is drafting a bill to "effectively" deal with communal violence and will put its contents on the Internet to seek people's views before finalising the proposed law, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said today (Nov 28, 2004).

The bill will define communal disturbance, provide for stringent punishment to offenders and extend compensation to the victims.

"We want to make a law which is really effective and which will remain in the statute books for many, many years to come. And the bill will be in accordance with the wishes of the people and their demands and opinions.

"The new bill is being drafted by the Law Ministry on the basis of a detailed paper prepared by the Home Ministry to control communal disturbances. The draft and the paper will be put on the Internet and we will hold seminars and encourage a countrywide debate to elicit people's opinion on it before finalising it," Patil told sources in New Delhi.

The proposed law is expected to lay down the parameters of investigation into communal incidents and may also provide as to whether the Centre or the State will probe such a disturbance and in how much time.

The Centre, Patil said, has also decided to set up a new committee to suggest measures to ensure smooth relationship with the States.

The multi-member committee, he said, would comprise people who understand the totality of Governance, lawmakers and those implementing and interpreting the laws.

On the bill to deal with the communal situation, Patil said elements relating to punishment to the offenders and compensation to the victims have been suggested in the Home Ministry's paper on the bill.

The proposed law, which forms part of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government's Common Minimum Programme (CMP), is expected to focus on the procedure for investigation and trial of crimes related to communal violence, relief and rehabilitation measures and mechanism for speedy control of law and order in affected areas.

Besides the bill, Patil said that three other major issues repealing the anti-terrorist law POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) brought in by the previous NDA (National Democratic Alliance) regime, declaring Tamil as a classical language and a decision on setting up a new committee to examine Centre-State relations as promised in the CMP have been fulfilled by the Home Ministry in the first six months since the UPA came to power.

Although the bill is not expected to be tabled in the coming winter session of Parliament, sources said the Home Minister has laid down a time schedule for completion of this task so that the bill is introduced in Parliament in the "shortest possible time". Before finalising the approach paper on the bill, Patil had held several meeting with top officials.