Vidhan Sabha passes 5 Bills

CHANDIGARH, Feb 8: Haryana Vidhan Sabha today passed five Bills, including Haryana Lok Pal (Amendment) Bill and Guru Jambheshwar Universi...

CHANDIGARH, Feb 8: Haryana Vidhan Sabha today passed five Bills, including Haryana Lok Pal (Amendment) Bill and Guru Jambheshwar University (Amendment) Bill, in the absence of the opposition members. The opposition parties – INLD and Congress – are boycotting the session to protest against the suspension of their nine members from the House.

The five bills passed by the Vidhan Sabha are Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Haryana Amendment Bill, Haryana Lok Pal (Amendment) Bill, Punjab Excise (Haryana amendment) Bill, Punjab Warehouses (Haryana Amendment) Bill and Guru Jambheshwar University Hisar (Amendment) Bill.

The Punjab Excise (Haryana Amendment) Bill, moved by the Prohibition, Excise and Taxation Minister makes provisions for the disposal of pending cases registered during July, 1996 to March, 1998 relating to offences for possession, sale and purchase of upto 12 bottles of liquor or 36 bottles of beer or consumption of liquor by making these offences compoundable.

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The Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar (Amendment) Bill moved by Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma and passed by the House, empowers the Chancellor to appoint the registrar instead of the state government.

It also detaches the Post Graduate Regional Centre from Guru Jambheshwar University, restoring it to Kurukshetra University. The centre was transferred to Guru Jambheshwar Univeristy on April 9, 1996 by the Bhajan Lal Government.

The Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Bill moved by Haryana Development and Panchayats Minister Kanwal Singh incorporates provision of adjudication of question of title in Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961. The objective of Haryana Lok Pal (Amendment) Bill which was moved by Chief Minister Bansi Lal, is to change name of institution of Lok Pal to "Lokayukta".

The Punjab Warehouses (Amendment) Bill moved by the Chief Minister will facilitate farmers in getting easy credit against their stocks deposited in the warehouses operated by the corporation.