New Delhi: The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is set to get more teeth with the Union Cabinet today approving amendments by which the definition of "terrorist act" will be expanded to cover activities affecting economic security.
Through the amendments, the government intends to make UA(P)A more effective in preventing unlawful financial activities, money laundering, terror financing and circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes.
The amended Bill, which will now be introduced in Parliament, enhances from two years to five years the period for which an association involved in terrorist acts, including terror financing, will be declared unlawful.
The amendments were cleared at the meeting of Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here, sources said.
The amendments widen the definition of "terrorist act" by including activities that threaten the economic security of India and damage its monetary stability by production, smuggling or circulation of `high quality` counterfeit currency.
Through the amendments, government wants to confer more powers upon the court to provide for attachment or forfeiture of property equivalent to the counterfeit Indian currency involved in the offence, property equivalent to the value of the proceeds of terrorism involved in the offence besides others.
The provisions have been incorporated in the UA(P) Amendment Bill which was first introduced in Lok Sabha on December 29, 2011. The Bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs on January 13, 2012.
The amendments were discussed and cleared at the meeting of UPA Coordination Committee attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here yesterday.
PTI
