*Taj’s proposal on faculty’s pvt practice gets in-principle nod
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 31: On the demand of the Congress Ministers, the State Cabinet today deferred decision on the report of a committee constituted by the Government to recommend amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 while as proposal of the Minister for Medical Education Taj Mohi-ud-Din seeking ban on the private practice of all the teaching faculty members of the Government Medical as well as Dental Colleges was agreed in-principle.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that after going through the report of the Government constituted committee and the memorandum prepared by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, which was circulated by the General Administration Department late in the evening, the Congress Ministers had an informal meeting over the issue before the start of Cabinet meeting this morning.
As some of them had certain inhibitions over the report it was decided that the same should be thoroughly studied even at the level of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz so as to ascertain whether the report is in consonance with the Congress stand on the amendments to the Panchayati Raj Act in the light of 73rd Amendment, sources said.
Shortly before the start of Cabinet meeting, Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand and Minister for Medical Education, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, as decided in the meeting of Congress Ministers, called on Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and apprised him of the Congress Ministers’ decision on the report, sources said, adding conceding the request of the Cabinet colleagues from the coalition partner (Congress) the Chief Minister announced in the Cabinet that the report of the Government appointed committee on amendments to the Panchayati Raj Act was deferred to allow the Congress party to study it thoroughly.
“Since the report has been prepared by a group of bureaucrats it is imperative not only for the Congress party but also for National Conference to analyze the same so that there remains no lacunae and the sensitive issue is handled very cautiously”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prof Soz had constituted two committees—one headed by MLC Ravinder Sharma and another by present Tourism Minister, G A Mir to conduct detailed study of 73rd Amendment of the Constitution and recommend important points, which could be incorporated into the State Panchayati Raj Act.
Stating that reports of these committees were also submitted to the departmental committee headed by Commissioner Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, sources said, “the Congress also wants to ascertain whether the points recommended by the committees headed by Ravinder Sharma and G A Mir have been taken care of in the Government panel report”.
In response to a question, sources said, “in case there is no major inhibition on the departmental report the matter will be placed before the Cabinet in its next meeting”.
About the proposal of the Minister for Medical Education, Taj Mohi-ud-Din regarding imposition of ban on the private practive of all the teaching faculty of the Government Medical and Dental Colleges, sources said, “after thorough discussion on the issue the Cabinet in-principle agreed to the proposal. However, it was felt that some arrangements have to be made by the Medical Education Department so as to ensure that ban doesn’t create problem for the common masses”.
“The Cabinet has given three months time to the Medical Education Department for setting up of evening clinics in the Medical as well as Dental Colleges and carry out more detailed exercise”, sources said, adding “after three months the Health and Medical Education Department will have to again submit proposal to the Cabinet for further discussion and formal decision”.
Confirming that Cabinet has in-principle agreed to impose ban on the private practice of teaching faculty in the Medical and Dental Colleges, Mr Taj said that with the setting up of evening clinics the requirement of people would be met. The fee to be charged by the doctors in the evening clinics has already been fixed by a committee and as per the modality 70% share of the fee will go to doctor, 10 % to para-medical staff and 20% to the State Exchequer.
It is pertinent to mention here that imposing ban on private practice of the Government doctors was also ordered by the Division Bench of State High Court on November 18, 2011 in a writ petition titled Vichar Kranti International and Another Versus State of J&K and Others. However, the DB order was challenged by the State Government before the Supreme Court, which on May 10, 2012 granted stay on the operation of the impugned judgement. The next date of hearing in the SLP filed by the State Government against DB order is July 19, 2013.
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