Panaji: The Goa government on Tuesday tabled the Goa Jan Vishwas Bill, 2026 in the state assembly, aiming to decriminalise minor offences and replace imprisonment provisions with monetary penalties. This move is intended to promote trust-based governance, reduce litigation, and ease compliance for citizens and businesses.

Key Features of the Bill

• Scope of Decriminalisation:
  Targets minor offences under over a dozen state laws, including:
  • Excise
  • Waste management
  • Fire services
  • Land revenue
  • Municipalities & panchayats
  • Public health and civic administration
• Shift from Imprisonment to Fines:
  • Offences previously punishable by jail, such as violations under the Goa Fire Force Act, 1986, will now attract fines linked to pay or fixed monetary limits.
  • Waste Management violations, like illegal construction or misuse of land in designated areas, will incur hefty fines, including daily penalties for ongoing violations.
• Enhanced Penalties in Municipal Laws:
  • Illegal constructions, encroachments, waste dumping, sewage discharge, unauthorised commercial activities, and obstruction of public spaces will attract fines up to ₹50,000–₹1 lakh, with additional penalties for repeated offences.
• Automatic Fine Revision:
  • Fines and penalties will be automatically revised by 10% every three years to account for inflation and maintain deterrence.
• Repeal of Previous Ordinance:
  • The bill proposes to repeal the Goa Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025, while safeguarding actions already taken under it through a savings clause.

Objective

• Reduce criminal liability for minor procedural lapses
• Ensure regulatory oversight through financial deterrence rather than imprisonment
• Improve ease of living and doing business in the state
• Allow enforcement agencies to focus on serious offences

The bill is part of a broader decriminalisation trend in India, mirroring similar efforts at the central level to streamline governance and reduce unnecessary legal entanglements.

If you want, I can also make a quick table showing examples of offences, previous punishment, and proposed fines under the Jan Vishwas Bill for a clearer snapshot. Do you want me to do that?