Odisha Cabinet Approves Repeal of 358 Obsolete Laws

Bhubaneswar: In a major move aimed at simplifying the legal framework in the state, the Odisha Cabinet has approved the repeal of 358 outdated and redundant Acts enacted between 1974 and 2025.

According to official sources, most of the Acts proposed for repeal are amendment laws whose provisions have already been incorporated into the respective principal legislations. Several others were introduced as one-time measures and have since lost their relevance.

The decision was taken following recommendations by the State Law Commission of Odisha in its reports submitted on April 6 and April 30, 2026. The Commission had recommended removal of obsolete laws to reduce legal complexity and streamline governance.

Acting on the recommendations, the Cabinet directed the preparation of the Odisha Repealing Bill, 2026, which will be introduced in the State Legislature for formal repeal of the identified Acts.

The government said the initiative would help bring greater clarity to the state’s legal system, ease administrative processes, and benefit both citizens and government officials by eliminating unnecessary and outdated laws from the statute book.