Hooghly: West Bengal Minister Tapas Roy on Saturday said the expert committee constituted by the state government to examine the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) draft would decide the way forward for the proposed legislation, while asserting that the government is also focused on industrialisation to generate employment and check brain drain.

Speaking on the state's industrial development, Roy said the government has initiated efforts to accelerate industrialisation and create employment opportunities for skilled youth.
"My government, under the able leadership of the Chief Minister, has started the industrialisation process. The slogan of our beloved Prime Minister is 'Viksit Bharat, Viksit West Bengal, Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Without industry, you can't progress. In the last few decades, industrialisation has not been there. For that reason, brain drain took place," Roy said.

He added that the government's objective was to ensure talented youth remain in the state.
"This BJP government will start industrialisation to keep all our meritorious students here. Those who have technological knowledge will stay in West Bengal. They will have work here, and that is our motto," he said.

On the role of the committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, Roy said, "That is the decision of the committee formed by the government and the retired judges... They will decide. They will direct."

His remarks come after the West Bengal government constituted a nine-member expert committee headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to examine and finalise the draft Uniform Civil Code. The state government plans to introduce the proposed legislation during the upcoming August Assembly session.

According to the state government, the proposed legislation will exempt indigenous communities. The committee comprises former judges, legal experts, bureaucrats and representatives from the social sector, who will examine various aspects of the proposed law before submitting their recommendations.

Earlier, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had announced that the draft UCC would be introduced in the Assembly during the August session after completion of the necessary procedural steps. He had said the committee would begin its work and submit its recommendations to the government.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.