The Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960

Summary of the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960

Key Outcomes
1. Formation of New States
• Maharashtra: The residuary State of Bombay, primarily for Marathi-speaking populations.
• Gujarat: Comprising areas with predominantly Gujarati-speaking populations.

2. Effective Implementation Date
• Appointed Day for Reorganisation: 1st May 1960.

3. Constitutional Implications
• Amendment to the Constitution of India: Specifically, an update to the First Schedule to reflect the creation of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

4. Administrative Provisions
• Flexibility for State Governments: Empowerment to make adjustments to district, taluka, or village boundaries, names, or extents post-reorganisation.
• Provisions for State-Owned Corporations:
• Temporary Operation and Dissolution: For entities like the Bombay State Electricity Board, State Warehousing Corporation, and Financial Corporation, with defined timelines for dissolution (e.g., October 1, 1960, for some) and protocols for dividing assets and liabilities between the new states.
• Special Provisions for Transition: Including the framing of schemes for reorganisation of corporations and the power of the Central Government to sanction these schemes.

Legislative History:

The Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960

Act Title - The Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960

Act Number / Year - 11 of 1960

Act ID (India Code) - 196011

Presidential Assent Date - April 25, 1960

Enforcement Date - May 1, 1960

Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Home Affairs

Precedent & Historical Rationale

● Bifurcation of the Composite Bombay State - Enacted under Article 3 of the Constitution to bifurcate the bilingual State of Bombay into two distinct unilingual states, Maharashtra and Gujarat, fulfilling long-standing regional and linguistic aspirations.

● Apportionment of Assets, Liabilities, and Institutional Frameworks - Formulated to establish statutory mechanisms for dividing assets, liabilities, public debt, river water resources, administrative cadres, and high court jurisdictions between the newly created state entities.

Parliamentary Trajectory & Enactment

● Formulation - Introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs following political movements and recommendations to reorganize the state along linguistic lines.

● Parliamentary Passage - Debated and passed by both Houses of Parliament (Second Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) in April 1960.

● Presidential Assent - Received Presidential Assent on April 25, 1960.

● Enforcement - Enforced on May 1, 1960.

Source - Official Record of Parliament, India Code, and Ministry of Home Affairs.