Governor refers Education Tribunal Bill back to Govt
Ahmedabad, Apr 15 (UNI) Gujarat Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma today referred the controversial Gujarat Educational Institutions Services Tribunal (GEIST) Bill, 2006, back to the state government, saying, ''certain infirmities and lacunae were noticed'' in it.
In a release, Governor's press secretary said Mr Sharma has referred it to the state government for reconsideration of relevant issues by the House.
The Assembly last month had passed the GEIST bill, which centralised the powers of separate tribunals meant to resolve disputes in recognised primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, affiliated colleges and universities, in a single tribunal.
The Congress had staged a walkout over the Bill.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Arjun Modhvadia had alleged that Education Minister Anandiben Patel had introduced the Bill by abrogating existing tribunals, which had wide powers to summon the education minister and senior officials of the education department.
The present tribunals are headed by a person who qualifies to become a High Court judge, while the new law empowers the state government to have a retired district judge head the tribunal, he had said.
Retired government secretaries can be its members, but their numbers have not been specified.
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