Anti-Conversion Bill draft gets nod

Tribune News Service

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Dehradun, March 13

The state Cabinet has approved the draft of the Anti-Conversion Bill (Religious Freedom), making religious conversions brought through force, coercion, inducement, marriage and other means a cognisable offence.

As per provisions of the draft Bill, besides making forced conversion a cognisable offence, it will also attract imprisonment up to five years and a fine. The punishment is harsher in case it is committed against a minor, a woman or a person belonging to the SC/ST category. Further, the person keen on adopting another religion will have to inform the district authorities a month in advance by submitting an affidavit to the District Magistrate.

The Cabinet also empowered private medical institutions to revise the fee structure for MBBS and MD/MS courses, which is a huge setback for students. To rein in the arbitrary manner in which fee was hiked by private medical colleges, the government had constituted a fee committee, which was opposed by private colleges. The college managements had stated that they were governed by their own university Acts and had right to decide the fee structure. 

The Cabinet also approved a Bill  under which the government will not be forced to provide pension to more than one lakh contractual and  adhoc employees recruited in government offices before 2007.

Seeking pension, a few employees had moved the Uttarakhand High Court, which ruled in their favour. However, the state government challenged the HC judgment in the Supreme Court. However, the apex court also gave the ruling in the favour of the employees. 

According to sources, as a way out, Uttarakhand opted for a Bill.

Among other important decisions are the Raipur skating rink and the Raipur cricket stadium will be run by private firms based on an agreement reached with the government .