Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 8: Three bills including Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission (Amendment) Bill 2015, Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill 2015 and Kashmir and Jammu Universities (Amendment) Bill 2015 were introduced in State Assembly today.
While the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Amendment Bill and Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Amendment Bill were introduced by Minister of Rural Development, Abdul Haq Khan on behalf of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Basharat Bukhari in the Assembly, the Kashmir and Jammu Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was introduced by Education Minister Naeem Akhtar in the House.
The proposed amendment in Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission (Amendment) Bill-2015 seeks to amend Section 6 of the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act 2002 for increasing the term of office of the Chairperson and the members from three years to five years and increasing their age limit for eligibility from 70 years to 75 years.
The Bill also provides for constitution of a three member Cabinet Sub Committee to act as a Search Committee for short listing the names of the probables for selection by the Committee provided for under Section 4 of the Act.
In his statement on the Bill, the Minister said that Accountability Commission Act 2002 was enacted by the State Legislature for establishing an institution of Accountability Commission to enquire into the allegations of corruption, favouritism, nepotism or lack of integrity and abuse for misuse of official position by public functionaries.
He said under the existing provisions of the Act, the Chairperson and the members hold office for a period of three years or until they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
The Minister said that due to limited availability of eligible retired judges, the Commission has at many times in the past remained headless for long spell of time. In order to broaden the zone of consideration for appointment of chairperson and members, the term of office and the age limit of chairpersons and members is required to be increased.
Likewise the Government through an amendment to Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Human Rights Bill wants to provide for treating the leader of a single largest group or party in opposition to the Government as a member of the Committee in case there is no recognized Leader of opposition in the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council, as the case may be. Moreover, through amendment Government wants to increase the term of chairperson and members of the Commission from three years to five years and the upper age limit for eligibility from 70 years to 75 years.
The Minister is his statement on the Bill said that all the positions of chairpersons and members in the State Human Rights Commission are vacant. The eligibility for appointment of a Chairperson is that he should have been judge of High Court and should not be more than 70 years of age. He said at present very few number of retired judges fulfilling such criteria are available. Accordingly, a draft Bill has been prepared, he added.
By bringing an Amendment in Kashmir and Jammu Universities Bill, the Government proposes to increase the tenure of the vice Chancellor for State Universities from three years to five years.
In his statement the Minister said the Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act, 1969 provides that the Vice Chancellor of a University shall hold office for three years. In universities across the country, generally duration of the term of Vice Chancellor varies from three to five years. The tenure of Vice Chancellor is for five years in most of the Central Universities as well as Delhi University and three years in University of Bombay and University of Madras.
The Minister said in Uttar Pradesh the term of office for a VC is for three years, but extension is given for one year. There is a broader consensus among academicians that a three year term is too brief period for a Vice Chancellor to formulate and implement policies and plans. He said it is difficult or rather improbable to make an impact, administratively or academically, in this short period. A five year time will definitely help Vice Chancellors to fully experiment with the ideas they conceive and fine tune them, he added.
He said in the three years term, the successor Vice Chancellor may not exhibit the patience to see the full implications of the scheme initiated by predecessors and their own agenda may affect the stability and cumulative progress of the system, he added.
He said the proposed Kashmir and Jammu Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2015 seeks to achieve this objective.
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