PRESIDENT'S ASSENT TO FIVE MORE BILLS
The President
has given his assent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(Amendment) Bill, 2002, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical
Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2002, the Salaries and
Allowances of Officers of Parliament and Leaders of Opposition
in Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2002, the Sugar Development Fund
(Amendment) Bill, 2002 and the Salaries and Allowances of Officers
of Parliament (Second Amendment) Bill, 2002. With this, these
Bills, passed during the Budget Session of Parliament, ending
May 17, 2002, have been notified in the Gazette of India as Act
Nos. 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31 respectively of the year 2002.
The All
India Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Act, 2002, seeks
to amend the principal Act of 1956 to extend recognition of dental
and nursing degrees and diplomas of the Institute within the meaning
of the Dentists Act, 1948 and the Indian Nursing Council Act,
1947. It also amounts to recognition of such degrees and diplomas
issued by AIIMS within the meaning of the Indian Medical Council
Act, 1956.
The National
Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment)
Act, 2002, which seeks to amend the principal Act of 1998, provides
for three Members of Parliament-two from the Lok Sabha and one
from the Rajya Sabha, on the Board of Governors of the Institute
to cease to hold such office in the event of their elevation as
a Minister or Minister of State or Deputy Minister or Speaker
or Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha or Deputy Chairman of the Rajya
Sabha or on retirement from the Houses or on death.
The Salaries
and Allowances of Officers of Parliament and Leaders of Opposition
in Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2002, seeks to amend the principal
Acts of 1953 and 1977 and provide for same sumptuary allowance
as is applicable to Ministers under the Salaries and Allowances
of Ministers Act, 1952 to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Deputy
Chairman and the Deputy Speaker and each Leader of the Opposition
in terms of the said 1952 Act.
The Sugar
Development Fund (Amendment) Act, 2002, seeks to amend the principal
Act of 1982 to provide that the Sugar Development Fund may also
be applied by the Central Government to grant loans to any sugar
factory, bagasse based co-generation power projects, production
of anhydrous alcohol or ethanol from alcohol and to defray from
the Fund the expenditure on internal transport and freight charges
to the sugar factories on export shipments of sugar in order to
increase economic viability of sugar industry. The bagasse based
power generation is estimated at 3500 MWs and molasses based anhydrous
and alcohol or ethanol is to be used as environment friendly motor
fuel. Both are eco-friendly.
The Salaries
and Allowances of Officers of Parliament (Second Amendment) Act,
2002, which amends the principal Act of 1954, provides for enhancement
of pension for those Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha), who did
not complete four years and more, pension from the existing Rs.
2500 per month to Rs. 3000 per month with retrospective effect
from September 14, 2001.
