PRESIDENT'S ASSENT TO THREE MORE BILLS
The President has given his
assent to the Haj Committee Bill, 2002, the Foreign Aircraft (Duties
on Fuel and Lubricants) Bill, 2002 and the Legal Services Authorities
(Amendment) Bill, 2002. With this, these three Bills, as passed
by the Parliament during the Budget Session ending May 17, 2002,
have been notified in the Gazette of India as Act Nos. 35, 36
and 37 respectively of the year 2002.
The Haj Committee Act, 2002, seeks to repeal
the Haj Committee Act, 1959 and replace it by a new law altogether
to establish a Haj Committee of India and State Haj Committees
for making arrangements for the pilgrimage of Indian Muslims for
Haj and for matters connected therewith.
The Foreign Aircraft (Duties on Fuel and
Lubricants) Act, 2002, seeks to exempt from all duties and taxes,
the fuel and lubricants uplifted by an aircraft registered in
another State operating international services, to, from and through
India in keeping with the obligations arising out of the bilateral
air services agreements and International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) resolution signed by the Government of India with other
countries on reciprocal basis. It also seeks to exempt payment
of customs duties, local duties and taxes on Aviation Turbine
Fuel on reciprocal basis to foreign aircrafts.
The Legal Services Authorities (Amendment) Act,
2002, seeks to amend the principal Act of 1987 to establish permanent
Lok Adalats with a Chairman of the status of a District Judge
or an Additional District Judge or even higher status judge and
two other persons with adequate experiences in public utility
services, to adjudicate matters connected with transport services
of passengers or goods by air, road and water, postal, telegraph
or telephone services, supply of power, light or water to the
public by any establishment, public conservancy or santitation,
services in hospitals or dispensaries or insurance services, with
a primary jurisdiction upto Rs. 10 lakhs with a provision that
the Central Government may increase the monetary jurisdiction
of public utility services by amendment in the rules only and
without going to the Parliament. The permanent Lok Adalats will
adjudicate pre-litigative disputes and its awards will be binding
within the meaning of Civil Procedure Code. The objective is to
decongest the existing courts.
