K'taka Govt passes CET Bill amid walkout

Bangalore, June 30: A new Common Entrance Test Bill to give legal sanction to the consensual agreement between the private management and the Karnataka Government was passed in the Assembly today, amid a walkout by the Opposition Congress against the ''pro-management and anti-people'' Bill.

When Higher Education Minister D H Shankaramurthy put to vote the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fee) (Special Provision) Bill, 2006, after a discussion, the Congress members, led by Leader of the Opposition N Dharam Singh, staged a walkout, demanding some more time for debate.

The Bill, tabled yesterday amidst protests from the Congress, was taken up for passage today after a debate in which several members took part.

Leading his party members out of the House, Mr Singh said the rights of the Opposition party members were curtailed by not giving them more time to debate the controversial Bill.

''This Government is in a hurry to pass such an anti-people Bill and we will not be a party to it,'' he said.

UNI