*73rd Amendment bill gets House nod
Sanjeev Pargal/ Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 4: Alliance partners-National Conference and Congress joined by Jammu Opposition parties including BJP, NPP and JSM apart from BJP rebels joined hands in the Legislative Assembly today to block the passage of a bill to provide for better management, protection, administration and governance of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places, which was referred by Speaker Mubarak Gul to the Joint Selection Committee (JSC) for further examination on the motion moved by the Congress MLAs.
The BJP, NPP and JSM MLAs also objected to use of words `Kashmiri Hindus’ in the bill saying there were only Hindus and they shouldn’t be divided into Jammu Hindus, Kashmiri Hindus or Punjabi Hindus.
NC played safe with Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather saying he had moved the bill for consideration and passing but to keep the sentiments of Congress in mind hastened to add that he was leaving the final decision to the House. As soon as the Speaker after one and a half hours break in the Assembly during discussion on the bill announced that in view of division in the House, he was referring the bill to the Joint Selection Committee, all PDP members led by their Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti staged a walk-out in the House saying the Kashmiri Pandits were waiting for past five years for passage of the legislation and the Government has cheated them. CPM MLA MY Tarigami, PDF MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Independent MLA Engineer Rashid also supported passage of the bill and walked-out of the House in protest against its referral to the JSC.
The bill remained pending in the Legislative Assembly for four years since it was introduced in the House in 2009. It was in budget session of the Assembly in 2013 that the bill was referred to the Select Committee. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir, who was chairman of the Select Committee, had submitted the report of the Committee in the Assembly last week. The Select Committee had failed to evolve a consensus with its members Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal (NC), Abdul Rehman Veeri (PDP), MY Tarigami (CPM) and Hakim Mohammad Yasin (PDF) supporting the bill. However, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Harshdev Singh and Ashwani Sharma had opposed the bill in the present form.
The division in the National Conference and Congress on the bill was clearly visible though the two parties didn’t raise it in the open. While Congress MLAs were openly calling for referring the bill to the Joint Select Committee, the NC members didn’t support the demand and even Mr Rather said he was putting the bill before the House for consideration and passing. At the same time, the Speaker didn’t take the vote on Mr Rather’s motion and announced that he was referring the bill to the JSC in view of reservations expressed over the bill.
While the Congress confined its stand to sending the bill to the JSC and didn’t oppose it openly, the BJP, NPP, JSM and BJP rebels opposed the bill. It was the PDP, CPM, PDF and Engineer Rashid, who supported the bill. The NC indirectly supported the bill but finally agreed to the Speaker’s view of setting up the JSC.
The Legislative Assembly today also adopted a bill to incorporate major provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in the Panchayati Raj Act, which had become a bone of contention between the two coalition partners-National Conference and Congress. The bill was introduced in the Assembly on last day of the session today and passed within few hours of introduction without any debate.
On last day of the session, the House also approved four more bills proposing establishment of Paramedical Council and regulate practice of paramedical practitioners and amendment in the Value Added Tax (VAT), Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act and Ranbir Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act. The bills approved by the Legislative Assembly today would be taken up in the Legislative Council tomorrow.
During their separate meetings with the Kashmiri Pandit organisations, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, PCC (I) president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz and BJP national spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman had given categorical assurances that the Shrines bill would be passed during the budget session. However, representatives of all three political parties gave contradictory views in the Assembly, which were contrary to the assurances given to the Pandit bodies. BJP Legislature Party leader Ashok Khajuria went to the extent of cautioning that there would be 2008 like agitation in Jammu if the bill was passed without excluding the shrines which were being managed very well right from the period of militancy. BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma also echoed the similar views.
With the bill now referred to the Joint Select Committee, to be constituted by the Speaker, the fate of the legislation has become uncertain as there would be either very small or virtually no session of the Legislature now since Assembly elections in the State were due in October-November.
As soon as the Speaker took up the bill to provide for better management, protection, administration and governance of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places in the State, NPP Legislature Party leader Harshdev Singh moved an amendment to the bill proposing that the temples and shrines managed by J&K Dharmarth Trust Council, Shri Chander Chinar Bada Akhara Udasin Trust, Ramakrishna Mission, Hanuman Mandir Trust, Abhiganj Trust, Swami Dev Giri Sanyasi Ashram Trust, Abi Guzar Mandir and Baba Jamuna Dass Rani Mandir Bairagi Trust be exempted from purview of the bill.
Harshdev Singh said some of the shrines were being maintained very well in Kashmir even during the period of turmoil in the Kashmir Valley. He added that the Dharmarth Trust was manning 70 temples in the Valley, where regular `puja’ is being held.
“The temples, which have been abandoned, neglected or encroached upon can be brought under purview of the bill but not the shrines, which were being maintained very well with regular puja even during 25 years of militancy. The Government can’t take the shrines forcibly from the Trusts, which would be violation of fundamental rights of the people,” Mr Singh said. He quoted Articles 25 and 26 of the right to run religious affairs the way a religion wants in support of his claim. He wanted deletion of the word `Kashmiri Hindu’ in the bill saying all Hindus-whether living in Jammu, Kashmir or Punjab are one.
PDP MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat said the State is protector, guarantor and executor of Constitution responsibilities including protection of the shrines. Supporting passage of the bill in its present form, Mr Bhat said it should be concern of the Government to protect religious places of the minorities.
Supporting the amendment moved by Harshdev Singh, BJP state president and MLA Nagrota, Jugal Kishore Sharma said the shrines, where regular puja is being performed shouldn’t be disturbed.
“Sadhus and Saints stayed in the Valley even during militancy. The Government can’t encroach upon the shrines forcibly, which were running well. However, the shrines that had been abandoned, neglected, encroached upon etc can be brought under purview of the bill,” Mr Kishore said and advised the Government to withdraw the bill at this stage and bring it later after wider consultations.
Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, MLA Jammu West, disclosed that the legislation was discussed clause by clause in the Select Committee said the shrines, said it becomes responsibility of the Government to look after the shrines, which have been abandoned. He opposed inclusion of all the shrines in the bill including those, which were being manned properly.
JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma regretted that the title of Kashmiri Hindus has been given to the bill to divide Hindus.
“The opinion of the members has not been incorporated in the bill, which has been introduced in the House in the old form. For many years, several shrines are functioning with puja, audit and management and they can’t be allowed to be incorporated in the bill. The `Maths and Trusts’ should be excluded from the bill. However, the shrines, which have not been renovated or abandoned can be included.
Warning the Government of string repercussions and 2008 like `Bum Bum Bhole’ agitation in Jammu if any attempt was made to pass the bill forcibly in the House without evolving consensus, BJP Legislature Party leader Ashok Khajuria said the bill would have serious repercussions and the Government would be responsible for them.
“We don’t interfere in religious affairs of others but if any attempt was made to interfere in our religion, we wouldn’t tolerate it,” Mr Khajuria said sounding a note of caution.
Intervening in the debate, Congress leader and Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma said there was no consensus on the bill in the Select Committee and there appeared to be no consensus on it even in the House.
He asserted that Constitution guaranteed religious freedom. Further, he added, no wedge should be created between anyone. He also agreed with some members that even name given to the legislation `Kashmiri Hindus’ was wrong. “If there is no consensus on the bill, I would like the bill to be handed over to the Joint Select Committee for consideration in transparent manner, which should be acceptable to all,” Mr Sharma said. His views were echoed by other Congress MLAs.
Supporting the bill, CPM MLA MY Tarigami wanted the Government to react either in defence or against the bill.
“I am afraid, we are once again going towards division. Any one has a right to object to the bill, but there should be no further division. We have to live together,” he said in brief but emotional speech in support of the legislation.
PDP Legislature Party Deputy Leader Abdul Rehman Veeri took strong exception to the voices of dissent to the bill by the treasury benches and wanted to know whether the legislation has not been discussion by the Cabinet before being introduced in the Legislative Assembly.
“What kind of message this Government is conveying to the community? It was Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, who had first brought the Shrines bill when he was in the Opposition. Now when he is in Government, what has happened to him? Why he is not coming out openly in support of the bill?” Mr Veeri asked.
He wanted to know from the Government that why they had listed the bill in the business if they didn’t have to pass it.
“The Government is trying to deceit the people of the State. They should have first discussed the bill in the Cabinet before bringing it here in the House. It has become quite clear that the Government is not interested in passing the bill. They have divided the House. They are sabotaging the bill,” Mr Veeri said.
Opposing the bill, BJP rebel MLA Jagdish Raj Sapolia took on Mr Veeri saying he had moved an amendment in the Select Committee that temples of Mattan should be kept out of the purview of legislation.
“Why only Mattan? Why not others”? Mr Sapolia asked describing the legislation as an attack on fundamental rights of Hindus.
Mr Sapolia said the bill has been brought with “malafide intentions” and was “direct interference” in religious affairs of Hindus, which wouldn’t be tolerated.
NC leader and former Minister Nasir Aslam Wani charged PDP leader Abdul Rehman Veeri with adopting “double standards” on the bill saying on the one hand he wants exclusion of Mattan temples on the bill and on the other was supporting the bill.
“This House is supreme, It is elected by the people. You, Government and we all have to respect sentiments of the House,” Mr Wani said.
Mr Veeri clarified that his note was confined to the Select Committee and that he was completely in favour of the bill.
“Let the bill be passed. It is an historical occasion. This Government is deceiving the people. I have proved it,” Mr Veeri retorted as he had heated exchanges with Mr Wani.
Congress Minister Sham Lal Sharma again intervened saying there should be no exploitation and uncertainty. He said there was no members of the community (Kashmiri Pandits) in the Select Committee as the community has no representation in the Lower House. He said since the community had representations in the Upper House, the bill should be referred to the Joint Select Committee and also put in public domain. He added that it was a sensitive issue.
Another NC leader and former Minister Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal said the Kashmiri Shrines Board should be set up though it was a tricky issue. He pointed out that Law Minister Saifullah Mir had repeatedly tried to evolve consensus on the bill.
“The Government has no intentions to sabotage the bill. Why you are defaming us? We have already been blamed of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits,” Dr Kamaal said referring to the PDP members. At this stage, PDP members Abdul Rehman Veeri and Peer Mansoor Shah asked Dr Kamaal to pass the bill.
Independent MLA Engineer Rashid asked the Government how they would take the Kashmiri Pandits back home if they can’t pass just a bill for them.
“Why the Joint Select Committee? The Government should pass the bill. It’s a genuine bill. For five years, the bill was lingering on,” Mr Rashid said.
In his reply to the debate, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, speaking on behalf of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir, said the House opinion and majority opinion would prevail on the bill.
Asserting that the bill had come before the Cabinet, Mr Rather reminded Mr Veeri that the bill is not passed by the Cabinet but by the House.
“I had brought the bill as the Leader of Opposition. However, this House was not convinced and rejected the bill then,” he recalled.
Noting that it was this Legislature, which had passed the bills for Wakaf Act, Gurudwara Parbandhak Committees, Shrine Boards, Mr Rather asked: “why can’t this bill be passed. There should be no interference by the Government and management of the shrines should be left to the community. There would be a Central level Shrine Board and District Management Committees under the bill”.
Mr Rather said he was seeing first time the report of a Select Committee on the bill, which had failed to reach any consensus on the bill. “Whether some forces are working behind the scene to avoid consensus on the bill”? he asked.
Referring to different opinions on the bill, Mr Rather observed that Harshdev Singh has called for excluding some shrine from the bill while other members have supported the JSC.
“However, it’s not for me to accept any view point. It is for the House to decision. I am moving my motion of consideration of the bill. But, if there is different opinion of the House, I can’t stop. Yesterday also, my opinion was different on increase in pension and medical allowance of legislators on a private member’s bill but the House allowed its introduction. Let the House take a decision on the Shrines bill,” Mr Rather said and took his seat.
Mr Tarigami urged Mr Rather to give priority to consideration of the bill and cautioned that he can’t speak in two voices. There was massive uproar from BJP, NPP and JSM MLAs after which Speaker adjourned the House at 1.40 pm till 3 pm.
As the House resumed its sitting at 3.10 pm, Congress members Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, Ashok Kumar and Krishan Chander Bhagat reiterated their demand for referring the bill to the JSC.
PDP Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti said the Kashmiri Pandit biradari was long waiting for passage of the bill.
“I think all party delegations had separately assured the Kashmiri Pandits on passage of the bill. We wanted the bill to be passed to attract the Kashmiri Pandits for return to their houses and connect to their routes. I salute Dogras of Jammu, who gave shelter to Muslims, Kashmiri Pandits but unfortunately, there is a division in the House on the bill. While the Property Tax legislation was passed here, an `elder leader’ (referring to separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani) threatened and it was sabotaged,” she said.
Mehbooba cautioned that the parties shouldn’t dis-respect and make the mockery of the Kashmiri Pandits. She alleged that there appeared to be a “fixed match” between Alliance partners and Opposition members like cross-voting in the MLCs elections.
“We don’t want division in the House on a sensitive issue. If this Government is not serious in passing the bill, why they brought it here”? Mehbooba asked.
JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma reminded the PDP leader that temples in the Kashmir Valley didn’t belong to Kashmiri Pandits only but all Hindus.
Taking a dig at Mehbooba, Mr Rather reminded her that when he was sitting on her seat as Leader of the Opposition, her party had opposed his similar bill but was not expressing sympathies to the community.
Amidst uproar, Harshdev Singh said the bill had to be accompanied by a memo regarding delegatory legislation, which is missing.
Speaker Mubarak Gul didn’t put the motion of Mr Rather for consideration of the bill to vote and said he has heard arguments of all parties and MLAs.
“I had given the bill to the Select Committee last year as it involved sensitive and religious issues. I have two extensions to the Select Committee so that there was no problem later. However, there is still no consensus and the House is divided. I propose referring the bill to the JSC,” Mr Gul said.
The House agreed to the motion and Mr Gul referred the bill to the JSC for further examination.
As PDP and some other MLAs didn’t relent, the Speaker wanted the MLAs supporting his motion for sending the bill to the JSC to raise their hands. Except PDP, CPM, PDF and Engineer Rashid, all other political parties supported Mr Gul’s motion.
All MLAs of PDP led by Mehbooba Mufti, CPM MLA MY Tarigami, PDF MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Engineer Rashid staged a walk-out in the House in protest against referring the bill to the JSC.
Meanwhile, the Legislative Assembly also approved the much awaited and talked about bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act to include major provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in the State Act.
NPP MLA Harshdev Singh wanted the Government to keep the bill for tomorrow saying it has been introduced in the morning and was listed for passing within couple of hours. “We can’t move amendments to the bill as we didn’t have copies of the principle Act here,” he said.
Mr Singh said the State PRI Act hasn’t been made at par with the Centre as the Panchayats at the national level have Constitutional status while the State law has not been brought at parity with the Centre.
Independent MLA Engineer Rashid said the NC had stated that 73rd amendment introduction would erode autonomy of the State. “What happened to the NC slogan now”? he asked.
“On the one side, the NC was talking of decentralization of powers while on the other the transfers of even Patwaris were being done in the Civil Secretariat,” he alleged.
As per the provisions of 73rd amendment to be incorporated in the PRI Act, the offices of chairpersons of Block Development Councils should be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in every district.
“The number of seats so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of offices of chairpersons to be filled by direct election as the population of Scheduled Castes or of the Scheduled Tribes bears to the total population in that district and such offices may be allotted by rotation to different Block Development Council constituencies in a district in such manner and by such authority as may be prescribed, the Act said.
The amendment provided that not less than one third of the total number of offices of the chairpersons reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and not less than one third of the total number of offices of chairpersons to be filled by direct election in the district and shall be reserved for women (including the number of offices of chairpersons of Block Development councils reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes).
The Amendment in Section 28, Act of 1989 provided that every Block Development Council shall have a Chairperson who will be a Sarpanch or a Panch in any Halqa Panchayat of that Block and will be elected in accordance with the provisions contained in Section 41 provided that on the election of a Sarpanch or a Panch as the chairperson of the Block Development Council, he after his election has to vacate his post as Sarpanch or Panch.
As per the amendment, the Chairperson of Block Development Council will be entitled to such monthly honorarium and a Vice Chairperson of the Block Development Council will be entitled to such sitting fee as the Government may prescribe.
The amendment provided that the term of Block Development Council shall be co-extensive with the term of Halqa Panchayats of the Block. The Amendment in Section 36 D of the Act said that Chairperson of the Board should be elected by the members of the District Development and Planning Board from amongst them in such a manner as may be prescribed provided that the offices of chairpersons shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
It further provided the number of offices of chairpersons so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of offices of chairpersons to be filled by direct election in the State as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State, or of the Scheduled Tribes, bears to the total population of the State and such offices of chairpersons may be allotted by rotation to different districts in the State in such manner and by such authority as may be prescribed.
It further provided that not less than one third of the total number of offices of chairpersons reserved under this proviso shall be reserved for women belonging to SCs or as the case may be, the STs;
As per the amendment not less than one third of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in the State shall be reserved for women (including the number of offices of chairpersons reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes). Such seats may be allotted by rotation to different districts in the State by such authority and in such a manner as may be prescribed.
The Amendment further provided that the Vice Chairperson of the Board shall be elected by the members of District Development and Planning Board form amongst them in such a manner as may be prescribed and after chairperson of the District Planning and Development Board shall be paid in such monthly honorarium as may be prescribed by the Government.
As per the amendment the term of District Planning and Development Board shall be co-extensive with the term of the Block Councils and Halqa Panchayats of the concerned district. The amendment provides for that a member of Panchayati Adalat shall be entitled to such sitting fee as the Government may prescribe from time to time and for the chairman and vice chairman in the Principal Act the word Chairperson shall be substituted.
In his statement Minister of Rural Development, Ali Mohammed Sagar said that the Government has conducted elections to the Panchayats in the State in 2011 ushering an era of local self governance in the State after a lapse of three decades. The Government is in the process of holding elections to the Block Development Councils and District Planning and Development Boards which will complete the establishment of Panchayati Raj in the State, he added.
The Minister said the Halqa Panchayats have started functioning and exercising their authority and powers under J&K Panchayati Raj Act. But voices have been raised from various quarters to strengthen the J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989, by providing reservations at all the three tier of Panchayati Raj and further democratizing the institution of District Planning and Development Board by providing election for the post of Chairman from amongst the members of District Planning and Development Board, he added.
He said there were also demands of decrease in the age of Panchs and Sarpanchs from present 25 years to 21 years so as to provide opportunity to the youth of the State to participate in the democratic process. Accordingly, the Government after consulting cross-section of the society and various stakeholders within the Panchayati Raj system has brought in amendments to the J&K Panchayati Raj Act so as to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system and make it more democratic and participatory in nature, he added.
The Minister informed the House that the coalition is committed to strengthening of democracy institutions in the State and the Panchayat elections were held after a gap of 38 years. He said Omar Abdullah led coalition deserves credit for strengthening the democratic institutions in the State.
Sagar said for strengthening the Panchayati institutions first time under the Omar Abdullah led Government people of all political shades of opinion were taken into confidence and the amendment in the Bill is for common man’s interest.
The Assembly adopted a legislation moved by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather proposing amendment in Jammu and Kashmir Value Added Tax under which the limit of Rs 7.5 lakh per annum prescribed for small dealer, who had been exempted from depositing any VAT and filing VAT returns, was proposed to be increased to Rs 10 lakh.
On similar considerations, the Turnover Tax (TOT) limit has been proposed to be enhanced to Rs 25 lakh per annum.BJP MLA Ashok Khajuria and NPP MLA Harshdev Singh also raised the issue of exempting the shawls from purview of 5 per cent VAT. They said though Mr Rather claimed that VAT on shawls has been reduced from 13.5 per cent to 5 per cent, the traders claimed that there was no VAT on shawls and the Government has rather imposed 5 per cent tax.
Mr Rather said though the issue of shawls was not linked to the VAT, he has checked up with the Department, which has confirmed that the traders had been paying 13.5 per cent VAT on shawls. He said his Department has proof of the VAT.
The bill was passed with a loud No from Ashok Khajuria on tax on shawls.
Harshdev Singh had objected to introduction of two bills (73rd amendment and VAT amendment) this morning and passing them the same day saying three days notice was required for passing the bill. Mr Rather countered him saying in the emergency situation, the Speaker can relax the rules, which he has done in case of two bills.
The Assembly also passed a bill to amend Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act, moved by Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone along with amendment of NPP MLA Harshdev Singh.
“I accept the amendment of Mr Singh,” Mr Lone said.
Mr Lone sought to amend Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act, 1969, which didn’t contain any provision of Autonomous Colleges.
“In the absence of any provision for Autonomous Colleges, an affiliated college as defined under Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act can’t be conferred with the autonomous status. It has therefore become imperative to incorporate a provision to this effect in the Act,” Mr Lone said.
Apart from this, Mr Lone said, the Administrative Secretary to Government, Planning and Development, who is being invited as a `special invitee’ in the meetings of the University Council is desired to be inducted as a permanent member of the University Council. For this purpose also, an amendment is required in the Act, he added.
The Assembly passed the bill along with the amendment of Harshdev Singh.
The Assembly also adopted a bill to provide for establishment of Paramedical Council in Jammu and Kashmir and regulate the practice by Paramedical Practitioners and Institutions, moved for consideration and passing by Health and Medical Education Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din.
NC MLA and former Minister Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal proposed that representatives from Civil Society and stakeholders should be kept as members in the Council.
Taj agreed to the amendment of NPP MLA Harshdev Singh for substituting the words `Head of the Department Jammu/GDC Srinagar’ with `Heads of the Department of GDC Jammu/Srinagar”.
The bill was passed in the amended form after Taj accepted the amendments of Dr Kamaal and Mr Singh.
According to the bill, the State Government would establish first ever Paramedical Council in the State in order to regulate the practice by paramedical practitioners and institutions.
“The modern medical care cannot be undertaken without the help of the allied health professionals like the Medical Laboratory Technicians, ECG Technicians, EEG Technicians, EMG Technicians, Ophthalmic Assistants, X-Ray Technicians etc. Though they form a vital link in the hospital service yet there is no law or machinery to control the various paramedical technicians’ courses conducted by various agencies in the State and also there is no control by the State over the laboratory and diagnostic services in the private sector”, Taj said.
He said, “in order to evolve a uniform standards in the practice of these paramedical technicians profession it is absolutely essential that persons who have attained a minimum standard of professional education are only be permitted to practice such professions”, adding “Government has decided to establish a Paramedical Technicians Council for fixing the minimum educational standards of paramedical technicians and for giving approval to the courses of study and examinations”.
Principals of Government Medical Colleges, Jammu/Srinagar will be president of the Council on rotational basis for a period of two years. The first president will be the senior most Principal and the other Principal will act as Vice-President.
Mission Director NRHM, Principal, Nursing College, SKIMS, Principals of AMT Schools Jammu/Srinagar, Head of the concerned department will be Members of the Council. There will also be non-official members.
The Council will maintain the State Register of para-medical practitioners, hear and decide appeals, prescribe a code of ethics for regulating the professional conduct of registered para-medical practitioners, reprimand a registered para-medical practitioner or suspend or remove the name from the State Register or take disciplinary action and to promote innovations, research and development in establishment of new para-medical subjects etc.
The Assembly also adopted without any debate a bill to amend Ranbir Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act pending since 2013.
Mr Rather moved the bill for passing and consideration on behalf of Saifullah Mir.
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