The Andhra Pradesh government has started Phase I of decriminalisation by selecting 42 minor offences under 13 Acts managed by eight departments. This is part of its effort to speed up business and improve governance. The proposals have got provisional approval from the departments and are in final review. Industries and Commerce Department Secretary N. Yuvaraj said at a recent meeting of ministers and secretaries that the process aims to finish by the end of February 2026. This move follows the Jan Vishwas Amendment of Provisions Act, passed by Parliament in August 2023. The Act focuses on removing criminal penalties for minor offences to promote trust-based governance and ease of living and doing business. The A.P. Milk Procurement Protection of Farmers and Enforcement of Safety of Milk Standards Act, 2023 leads with 13 offences proposed for decriminalisation. Other Acts include the A.P. Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014 (six offences), A.P. Excise Act, 1968 (five offences), and the A.P. Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities Act, 2016 (four offences). Several other Acts lead to the remaining offences. A key change is replacing criminal punishments like jail terms with civil penalties, fines, or administrative action on minor violations. This will lower the compliance burden, prevent criminal cases on small errors, and encourage voluntary compliance by citizens and businesses. Phase II of deregulation began last month. It includes 12 single-department reforms, 15 inter-departmental reforms, and six optional priority areas now under review. The state also plans to introduce an Omnibus Bill to simplify complex compliance rules across various laws to further ease the regulatory framework.