SC/ST Act ‘dilution’: File review petition, House urges Centre
CHANDIGARH:THE Vidhan Sabha of Punjab on Monday passed a resolution seeking an appeal for review of the Supreme Court verdict “diluting” provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The resolution came up during Zero Hour after Congress MLA Sushil Kumar Rinku drew attention of the members towards the apex court’s order.
Rinku said there is resentment in the SC community over it, and accused the Centre of not presenting the case well. He was supported by three prominent Dalit leaders: technical education minister Charanjit Singh Channi, welfare minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, and Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka.
The court had on March 20 taken note of misuse of provisions of the Act, and held that there shall be no immediate arrest under this law. Channi said the Dalit community is feeling hurt. “It has happened because of the anti-dalit government at the Centre,” he said, referring to the Bjp-led regime. However, BJP’S Som Prakash said that even as this is a court order, the Congress has a habit of blaming BJP for everything.
As Congress members pressed for the resolution, it was passed. “It will be now sent to the central government for filing a review against the order,” said Rinku.
Earlier, leader of opposition Sukhpal Khaira talked of protests by thousands of teachers in Ludhiana on Sunday and the police lathicharge on them. “Over 52,000 anganwadi workers are also working at Rs 5,600 per month. What are you doing about it?” he asked. However, speaker Rana KP Singh said the minister could raise issues during Zero Hour but not insist on a reply from the government.
Another AAP MLA, Kanwar Sandhu, raised the issue of sugarcane dues to farmers from cooperative sugar mills to the tune of Rs 300 crore, and cane price in Punjab being lower than that in Haryana and Bihar. Finance minister Manpreet Badal said Rs 46 crore due was also cleared earlier in the day. Sandhu was not satisfied and later gave a notice of privilege against the minister for “misleading” the House.
TO ADOPT CLINICAL ESTABLISHMENTS ACT
The state will soon adopt the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, health minister Brahm Mohindra told the assembly. The act, among other things, mandates that clinical establishments charge rates for procedures and services within the range the government prescribes. “A decision to this effect has been taken in a meeting held by the CM recently,” Mohindra said in response to a supplementary query by Khaira during Question Hour.
In the original question, Congress MLA Angad Saini had asked the minister about plans to improve health services. Mohindra replied that besides other steps, 600 sub-centres would be upgraded to health and wellness clinics in a phased manner and 11 urban Community Health Centres (CHC) would be made operational. “Biometric attendance will also be started at all district hospitals for ensuring presence of doctors and other staff in time,” he said.
BILLS FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS CLEARED
Finance minister Manpreet Badal said the government had cleared bills of retirement benefits of employees received between April 1 and December 31, 2017, of Rs 2,714 crore. He was responding a question by Congress Nathu Ram.
“When we took over, bills worth Rs 7,791 crore were pending. There was a huge gap. While many of pending payments have been released, we will clear everything,” the minister said.