Haryana Govt withdraws Bill on disposal of bodies after Congress objects

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Chandigarh, February 26

The government today withdrew the Haryana Honourable Disposal of Dead Body Bill, 2024, after objections from Congress MLAs.

Bill on regulation of travel agents passed

• Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill, 2024, to regulate travel agents and preventing immigration frauds
• Haryana Registration and Regulation of Private Coaching Institute Bill, 2024, to stop coaching centres from issuing misleading ads
• The Haryana Antrarashtriya Gita Jyanti Mela Authority Bill, 2024, allows the setting up of statutory authority for conducting International Gita Mahotsav
• Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Haryana Amendment Bill, 2024, allows the banning of hookah bars

Pointing flaws, Congress MLA Varun Chaudhary said, “No one wants to delay the cremation of their near and dear ones. The parties should be properly heard. The Bill has no provision for it.”

Congress chief whip BB Batra raised the issue that no remedy was available in the Bill to the affected party after the Executive Magistrate passed an order on the cremation of a body by an urban local body or gram panchayat if the family refused to conduct the same. The Bill did not have any appeal provision to the Executive Magistrate’s order, he pointed out.

As per the Bill, the officer incharge of a police station had the power to take possession of the body if he or she had reason to believe from “personal knowledge or otherwise” that the body could be used by a family member or a group of persons for remonstration. Batra questioned the power of the police station incharge and mentioned the basis of “personal knowledge” in the Bill.