Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 9: The State Assembly gave nod to four amendment bills by a voice vote today. Out of the four bills, the Bill to amend the J&K Civic Laws (Special Provision) Act 2014 was introduced in the House on April 6 while the Bill to amend the J&K Protection of Human Rights Act 1997, Bill to Amend the J&K Accountability Commission Act, 2002 and Bill to amend the Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act 1969 were tabled in the House yesterday.
All the four bills were passed in the House by a voice vote today.
The Minister of CAPD and Tribal Affairs Ch Zulfkar introduced the Bill to amend J&K Civic Laws and also moved its pass motion on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh. Later, the Bill was passed by the House without any debate.
The Bill provides for relief and to minimize avoidable hardships and irreparable loss to the people living in Srinagar,Jammu and Katra areas against any punitive action by any agency in respect of the person covered in the policies of the master plan. To complete the policy framework vis a vis unauthorized construction and to complete the revision of the Master plan facilitating its smooth implementation.
The Minister said the Master Plan for Srinagar-2021, Jammu 2021 and Katra were notified vide SRO -28 dated July 30, 2003, SRO 263-August 9,2004 and SRO 399 dated November 23, 2007 respectively, which provides for its review and revision every five years to account for such modifications and correction that emerge based on ground realities.
He said the first review of Master Plan has already commenced and is expected to lead to the necessary modification in the existing guidelines for matters such as land use, notification of new commercial and industrial areas along with ground coverage, floor area and ratio changes etc., Besides the norms policies and guidelines may also be needed to be appropriately modified to ensure their smooth implantation. The Revised Master Plan would cover the whole of the newly notified local areas.
He said keeping in view the present ground realities and the fast evolving nature of urbanization in these regions and to complete the ongoing tasks relating to the revision of the Master Plan also enabling its application to the development of all the areas in the notified local areas of Srinagar, Jammu and Katra; a period of at least nine months is required .
The J&K Protection of Human Rights Amendment Bill and J&K Accountability Commission Amendment Bill were introduced by Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Basharat Bukahri. He also moved the pass motion of the Bills.
The Minister said that increasing the age limit of chairman and members from 70 to 75 years and enhancing their term from three to five years was because of dearth of judges.
However, opposing the same NC leader Mohammed Shafi Uri termed it an extra ordinary step to enhance the age of member and chairman from 70 to 75 years. He said there is no example in the country of such an age. He suggested that the Government should appoint in service judges as chairman and members of these commissions. He stressed that the Bills be sent to Select Committee.
Supporting him, BJP’s R S Pathania said that the age of Supreme Court judges is also 65 years. He said the National Law Commission and Union Law Minister have refused to enhance the age to 70 years and hence enhancing the age to 75 years is not good. He said both the Bills be sent to Select Committee.
However, Minister said that the Government recently raised the strength of judges of High Court from 14 to 17 and still there is alarming level of pendancy of cases in the courts. The prime motive of the Government is that commissions be activated and made functional. If need be and members feel the changes can be made at later stage, he added.
Later, the Bill was passed and BJP members also supported it while NC voted against by saying “no”.
The Kashmir and Jammu Universities Amendment Bill which was introduced by Minister of Education Naeem Akhtar who also read its pass motion was passed without debate in the House.
The Bill provides for increasing the age of Vice Chancellors of universities in the State from three years to five years.
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