News Rajya Sabha unanimously passes SC/ST Bill

Technoglitch

Core Member
The Rajya Sabha on Monday unanimously passed the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill along with two Bills on supplementary demands for 2015-16, within minutes without any debate.

The House returned to Lok Sabha the Appropriation (No.4) Bill and the Appropriation (No. 5) Bill containing the second batch of supplementary demands as part of grants for 2015-16 to meet government’s expenditure.

As the House reassembled at 2 pm after four adjournments earlier, the Opposition criticised the government’s move to bring the Juvenile Justice Bill through the supplementary agenda route.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad objected to this saying that the ruling party itself was complicating the issue.

Following this, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien took up the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2015.

This was passed unanimously through a voice vote without any discussion. Congress leader Hussain Dalwai did not move his motion for certain amendments after his party asked him not to do so.

There was thumping on the desk as the House passed the Bill.

The two Appropriations Bills were also passed in a similar manner without any discussion.

TMC leader Derek O’Brien stood up and told the Chair that it was important to mention that the Bills were passed unanimously and not in a din.

To this, Mr. Kurien said, “How can there be din? There is perfect calm and tranquility. Everybody is cool. A cool breeze is blowing. I don’t know where this breeze is coming from.”

As Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sought taking up of more Bills, the Opposition members argued that it was decided at the all-party meeting that after the passage of the Bills, there would be debates on issues like intolerance, floods, price rise and the issue of Arunachal Pradesh, on which there was an agreement.

Rajya Sabha unanimously passes SC/ST Bill - The Hindu
 

IndianMascot

Core Member
Idiot ministers. No one objected anything for this bill because of caste based vote. And no one bothered to pass the Juvenile amendment. GST too didn't passed in this session.
 

Technoglitch

Core Member
What is the speciality of this bill?

  • The Bill substitutes this provision and specifies that an Exclusive Special Court must be established at the district level to try offences under the Bill. In districts with fewer cases, a Special Court may be established to try offences. An adequate number of courts must be established to ensure that cases are disposed of within two months. Appeals of these courts shall lie with the high court, and must be disposed of within three months. A Public Prosecutor and Exclusive Public Prosecutor shall be appointed for every Special Court and Exclusive Special Court respectively.
  • Rights of victims and witnesses: The Bill adds a chapter on the rights of victims and witness. It shall be the duty of the state to make arrangements for the protection of victims, their dependents and witnesses. The state government shall specify a scheme to ensure the implementation of rights of victims and witnesses.
  • The courts established under the Bill may take measures such as: (a) concealing the names of witnesses, (b) taking immediate action in respect of any complaint relating to harassment of a victim, informant or witness, etc. Any such complaint shall be tried separately from the main case and be concluded within two months.
PRS | Bill Track | The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2014
 

scorpionking76

EntMnt Knight
That's great news for the minorities, let's play this card for generations together and change the tag line to "Reserved India"
 
Top