Nagaland Assembly passes Jan Vishwas Bill 2026, decriminalising minor offences and promoting ease of doing business reforms statewide.
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KOHIMA — The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) has passed the Nagaland Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 on the last day of the Eighth Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly in Kohima.
The Bill, tabled in the House on March 26 by Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton, was taken up for consideration on Friday and passed by voice vote.
In the statement of objects and reasons, Patton said that Nagaland government is committed to fostering a governance ecosystem that is transparent, trust-based, citizen-centric, and facilitative of economic growth. He highlighted that in recent years, both at the Union and state levels, there has been a shift from excessive criminalisation and procedural rigidity towards a framework that emphasises compliance through trust, technology, and proportional accountability.
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He pointed out that several existing state enactments administered by various departments contain provisions that criminalise minor, technical, or procedural lapses. While intended to ensure compliance, such provisions often lead to avoidable litigation, administrative burden, and hardship for citizens, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and community institutions without significantly improving regulatory outcomes.
The legislation seeks to review and rationalise provisions across identified state laws by decriminalising minor and technical offences that do not involve moral turpitude, public safety concerns, environmental damage, or financial fraud. It also proposes substituting criminal penalties with civil penalties, compounding mechanisms, and administrative adjudication.
Further, the Bill introduces graded and proportionate monetary penalties based on the nature and severity of defaults, enables digital compliance, ensures transparent processes, and provides for time-bound adjudication. It also aims to reduce regulatory uncertainty and improve the ease of doing business in the state.
The Bill seeks to promote a culture of voluntary compliance based on trust rather than fear of prosecution, while retaining stringent penal provisions for serious offences affecting public order, health, safety, or revenue.
By simplifying compliance frameworks and reducing the burden on courts and enforcement agencies, the legislation is expected to enhance the state’s attractiveness for investment, encourage formalisation of businesses—particularly MSMEs and local entrepreneurs—improve administrative efficiency, and strengthen trust between citizens and the government.
The government maintained that the Bill does not dilute regulatory oversight but instead modernises enforcement architecture through administrative adjudication mechanisms, appellate safeguards, and transparent penalty structures consistent with principles of natural justice.