Kolkata/Berhampore: Bengal’s anti-gang law, which allows the govt to detain potential violators for up to 12 months, comes into effect on Monday along with an amended legislation empowering the authorities to auction properties linked to those accused of destructive acts to recover damages.Governor RN Ravi has given his assent to the two public safety bills passed by the assembly on June 29, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari told reporters after an administrative meeting at Rabindra Sadan in Behrampore on Friday.“West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, and West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act, 2026, will be implemented in the state from Monday,” the CM said. “The commission set up to draft a Uniform Civil Code for Bengal has started its work. The UCC bill will soon be tabled in the assembly.”Officials said chief secretary Manoj Agarwal met retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai, who heads the UCC commission, in Delhi on Thursday.Under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, an individual can be detained for up to 12 months if he or she is considered a threat to public safety.The detainees under the anti-gang law can make their own submissions before an advisory board challenging their detention, but cannot engage lawyers “except in appropriate cases and for reasons to be recorded in writing”.The second legislation, West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act, 2026, provides for the recovery of compensation for damage to public or private property from those accused of destruction. If needed, the property of the accused may be attached and auctioned to raise funds for the compensation.The CM said police have been asked to act swiftly to prevent or contain any unrest. “If incidents like the ones in Dhuliyan, Samserganj, Beldanga or Saktipur occur, there is no need to seek permission from anyone… Act immediately. Law and order comes before everything else. Attacks on railway tracks and BDO offices are a thing of the past. Take tough action against trafficking of women. Hindu refugees currently in jail need to be freed,” the CM said, referring to protests against NRC and the waqf amendment bill that had rocked Murshidabad.Adhikari said there has been no major law and order issue since his govt took charge and assured the public that complaints against police or civil administration would be acted upon promptly. “If police or the administration does anything wrong, inform me. I will take action. No one should stand in front of a police station and threaten the authorities. No one should say, ‘I will do this or that,’ or threaten to fill jails beyond their capacity. Please stop making such inflammatory speeches,” he said.Adhikari did not name anyone, but his remarks were widely seen as a response to recent statements made by Humayun Kabir, MLA and chairman of Aam Janata Unnayan Party.The CM also alleged widespread corruption in social welfare schemes during the Trinamool regime. “About 600 Lakshmir Bhandar accounts and nearly 3,500 minority scholarship accounts are fake. Ineligible individuals have availed themselves of benefits meant for specific categories, resulting in fake beneficiaries across schemes. Give us two more months, the verification of all social welfare schemes will be completed,” the CM said.“I have instructed police to increase coordination with BSF. Take strict action against infiltration and narcotics smuggling. So far, 69 people have been pushed back across the border from Murshidabad,” he said.Adhikari said a permanent project worth Rs 3,600 crore has been undertaken to prevent erosion of the Ganga, with Rs 2,500 crore allocated for Murshidabad district alone. On Annapurna Yojana, he said funds were transferred to the accounts of 12 lakh of the 15 lakh applicants by July 1.
