Wednesday, September 12, 2018
  • Chandigarh, Sept 12- Haryana Vidhan Sabha has passed Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes Bill, 2018 on the concluding day of Monsoon session.
  • Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes Bill, 2018 has been passed to provide for the constitution of Commission for Scheduled Castes in the State for the overall development and welfare of Scheduled Castes and safeguard their interests. Besides this, the Commission would also check and curb the atrocities being committed on the Scheduled Castes.
  • The Commission will investigate and examine the working of various safeguards provided in the Constitution of India or under any other law for the time being in force or under any order of the Government for the welfare and protection of the Scheduled Castes.
  •  It will also inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguard of the Scheduled Castes and to take such matter with the appropriate authorities. Besides, it will participate and advise on the planning process of socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes and to evaluate the progress of their development.
  • The Commission would make recommendation as to the measures to be taken by the government for the effective implementation of safeguards and other measures for the protection, welfare and socio-economic development of  scheduled castes and to make report to the government annually and at such other time, as the Commission deems fit.
  • The Commission will have all the powers of a Civil Court trying a suite. It will also have the power of summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath. It will have the power of issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses and documents.  
  • The Commission would consist of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson who would be eminent person belonging to any of the Scheduled Castes, having wide experience in social life and who has worked, contributed in government activities or a retired officer of the government belonging to the Scheduled Castes. The Vice-Chairperson would be designated from amongst the Members. The Commission would also comprise of a Member Secretary, who is or has been an officer of the government, not below the rank of Special Secretary. Similarly, the Commission would also have four members belonging to the Scheduled Castes from amongst the persons of ability, integrity and standing who has worked and served for the welfare and uplift of the Scheduled Castes and at least one of them would be a woman.
  • The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Members would hold office for a term of three years.
  • The  Punjab Land Improvement Schemes (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2018 has been passed to facilitate farmers for laying out underground pipeline for irrigation purposes passing through the fields of other farmers. As in some areas of the State underground water is brackish in nature or quality which is not fit for irrigation. Thus irrigation efficiency can be achieved through supply of underground pipeline based irrigation water to the fields.
  • The Factories (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2018 has been passed for ensuring benefits to the workers and the factories both. As per the amendment, small scale industries  which are having 20 number of workers with the aid of power and 40  number of workers without the aid of power to be exempted from the definition of Factories Act, 1948. Similarly, amendment in the act has  been made to increase the overtime working hours  from 75 to 115  so that the factories may achieve their targets and fulfill the orders.
  • Another amendment has been made to allow the women workers to  work in the factories in night shifts i.e. between 7 pm to 6 am provided these factories have adequate safety and security measures as per the State Government  rules and regulations.
  • Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2018 has been passed to avoid inconsistency between the number of voters in the Assembly electoral rolls and the Panchayati Raj Institutions electoral rolls.
  • The Indian Stamp (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2018 has been passed to revise the rates of stamp duty of small denominations fixed since 1967.
  • The Haryana Goods and Services Tax (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2018 has been passed to overcome the problems faced by  the tax payers while filing their returns under Goods and Services Tax Act regime. The amendments provide quarterly filing of returns and tax payment for small tax payers along with minimum paperwork.
  • Haryana Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2018 has been passed to provide for the appropriation out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of the sums required to meet the supplementary grants made by the Legislative Assembly for expenditure for the financial year 2018-19.
  • The Haryana Dholidar, Butimar, Bhondedar and Muqararidar (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Amendment Bill, 2018 has been passed to further amend the Haryana Dholidar, Butimar, Bhondedar and Muqararidar (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Act, 2010 which was enacted for vesting of proprietary rights. According to amendment, the Act would be applicable to Dholidar, Butimar, Bhondedar and Muqararidar or any other similar class or category of persons of land belonging to private individual or entity which the state government might notify in the Official Gazette and would not be applicable to lands owned or deemed to have been vested in the Panchayat or Municipality or land owned by any Government Department, Board or Corporation.
  • The Vidhan Sabha also passed the Haryana Group D Employees (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2018 to further amend the Haryana Group Employees (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Act 2018.
  • The Haryana Group D Employees (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2018 (Haryana Act No. 5 of 2018) was enacted with an objective of providing uniformity in qualifications for various Group D posts criteria, introduction of provision in preparing waiting list, uniformity in fixation of seniority, probation, provision of appeal in case of discharge, promotion, appointment by recruitment, by way of transfer and registration and acceptance thereof, in addition to provision of power to remove difficulties within a maximum period of three years of the commencement of the Act .
  • The Vidhan Sabha also passed ‘The Haryana Municipal Citizens Participation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 so as to provide amendments in  the existing  Haryana Municipal Citizens Participation Act, 2008.
  • At the time of conversion of any local area or gram panchayat into municipality or by including in the limits of any municipality, the prescribed tenure of elected representative of concerned local area or gram panchayat used to remain uncompleted. To continue the representation of elected members of such local area or gram panchayats the amendments have been made in the Haryana Municipal Citizens Participation Act, 2008.
  • As per the amendments when any local area  or Gram Panchayat is merged into a  Municipality, the incumbents of  the offices of Panches and  Sarpanches at the time of merger would act as the ward committee for the geographical area so merged till such time as the next elections to that municipality are held or till the term of erstwhile gram panchayat would have lasted, whichever is earlier.
  • Haryana Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 has been passed to further amend the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 for direct  elections of Mayors of Municipal Corportions.
  • The Haryana Prohibition of Change of Public Utilities Bill, 2018 has been passed to prohibit the disturbing or changing of public utility and claiming such land to the exclusion of public rights and use in the State.