Select committee report on UPCOCB tabled amid protests

LUCKNOW : The report of the Vidhan Parishad select committee on the Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Bill (UPCOCB) 2017 was present in the upper house amid protests by the Samajwadi Party-led opposition on Monday. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath heads the select committee.

Leader of the house and deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma took exception to the members’ protest. He said there was no point in suggesting amendments to the bill as this stage when they had already made their point during the select committee’s meeting last month.

After Sharma tabled the select committee’s report, SP’s Ahamad Hasan and others said the government wanted to pass the bill without addressing to the opposition’s concerns. They said the amendments suggested by them had not been incorporated in the report.

The select committee, at its meeting last month, had said that though the Vidhan Parishad did refer the bill to it in December for examination on the opposition’s demand, the opposition did not suggest any amendments to the bills.

“Since the opposition had not suggested any amendments to the bill in writing, the there was nothing for the committee to consider,” sources said, adding “and the committee tabled its report accordingly on Monday.”

Sources said since the SP was not satisfied with the select committee’s report, it could once more refer the bill to the same committee for examination if it wished to.

“As per rules, a bill can be referred to the select committee twice and not more than that,” people familiar with the matter said.

They said the bill might be tabled within two-three days in the house again for its assent.

“The bill will be deemed to have been passed by the Vidhan Parishad after 90 days of its being presented again, with or without the amendments suggested by the upper house,” people familiar with the matter said.