Bill raises Administrator-General asset limit from ₹2 lakhs to ₹10 lakhs

The change is intended to protect the interests of legal heirs and dependents by allowing them to claim assets through the Administrator-General rather than facing expensive civil litigation, reflecting the decrease in money value and rise in asset prices.

Who it concerns: The law affects the Administrator-General of a State, persons interested in the assets of a deceased person (such as legal heirs, widows, and minor children), and the Central Government (which appoints the commencement date).

What the bill does

• Substitutes the words 'two lakhs' with 'ten lakhs' in sections 9, 10, 29, and 36 of the Administrators-General Act, 1963.
• Raises the value limit for assets for which the Administrator-General may apply for letters of administration (Section 9).
• Raises the value limit for assets where the High Court may direct the Administrator-General to collect and hold assets due to imminent danger (Section 10).
• Raises the value limit for assets for which the Administrator-General may grant a certificate to a claimant (Section 29).
• Raises the value limit for assets regarding the Administrator-General's obligation to take out letters of administration after granting a certificate (Section 36).

Also in the document

• The Bill is an amendment to an existing Act (Act 45 of 1963).
• The Statement of Objects and Reasons notes that the Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh State Legislatures have already amended the Act in their respective states to enhance the limit to ten lakhs.
• The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 4, 2011, by Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law and Justice.