Detention, Externment To Recovery Of Property: Bengal’s New Public Safety Laws Come Into Effect On Monday

Last Updated:July 12, 2026, 18:05 IST

The Public Safety Act provides a broad definition of “anti-social activities”

The West Bengal government will bring into force the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-social Activities Act, 2026 and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act, 2026 from Monday, introducing a new legal framework to deal with anti-social activities, public disorder and damage to property.

The Public Safety Act provides a broad definition of “anti-social activities", bringing within its ambit acts such as creating fear among the public, disturbing public order, illegal encroachment, damage to government or private property, illegal mining and sand smuggling.

Under the new law, the District Magistrate, the Commissioner of Police or the State Government, in specified cases, may order the preventive detention of a person for up to 12 months if they are considered to be involved in anti-social activities.

The Act also empowers authorities to extern individuals from specified areas or districts in appropriate cases. Offences under the Act are proposed to be treated as non-bailable.

The accompanying West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act, 2026 introduces a mechanism for recovering compensation from those responsible for damaging public or private property.

In cases involving public property, the concerned government department will assess the loss and submit a claim to the District Magistrate (DM). The DM will forward the matter to the Claims Commission, which will hear the case and determine the amount of compensation payable by the person held responsible.

If the person fails to pay the compensation within the prescribed period, the Claims Commission may order the sale of the person’s property to recover the amount.

For damage to private property, the affected owner can directly approach the Claims Commission to seek compensation.

According to the provisions, the new legal framework aims to strengthen measures for maintaining public order, addressing anti-social activities and ensuring recovery of losses arising from damage to public and private property.

About the Author

Kamalika Sengupta

Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting...Read More

News india Detention, Externment To Recovery Of Property: Bengal’s New Public Safety Laws Come Into Effect On Monday

Read More