Given the tedious & time-consuming nature of the task, it appears that the names of the Acts will stay the same.
The Gujarat government, which had earlier planned to replace the word 'Bombay' in old state Acts with 'Gujarat', has now decided that the change is not worth the effort.
The amendment, slated to have taken place keeping in mind Gujarat's golden jubilee celebrations, has been called off, considering the magnitude of the task at hand.
Top authorities in the state's legal, justice and parliamentary affairs department have indicated that making changes in all the titles will prove a very tedious, lengthy and time-consuming exercise. Hence, the government may finally not go ahead with the decision.
There are nearly 80 Acts in Gujarat that carry the word 'Bombay' in their names. These Acts were passed before Gujarat and Maharashtra were named separate states, and at that time, the entire area, one huge state, was called Bombay Province. In 1960 though, the region was pronounced two different states. The names of the Acts, however, remained unchanged.
Once the state assembly were to approve of the decision, the word 'Bombay' in all these Acts was to be changed to 'Gujarat'. Earlier, sources in the state government had said, "Several laws in the state have 'Bombay' in their title. However, looking to the golden jubilee celebrations of Gujarat's statehood, the government is considering changing the titles of the said Acts."
However, now the idea of changing the titles is likely to be dropped. In any case, changing the titles of the Acts will have no bearing whatsoever on their nature.
"There are nearly 79-80 Acts having the word 'Bombay' in their title. Now, if we wish to change the titles of all these acts, 79-80 separate proposals will have to be made in the state assembly.
Also, each proposal will have to be debated in the house," said a highly-placed official in the state's legal and parliamentary department.
The official added, "It will be a very time-consuming and non-productive exercise, and hence we are reconsidering changing the titles. In any case, renaming an Act will not make any difference to its nature."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}