Three bills passed in HP Assembly

Shimla, Apr 5 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh Assembly today passed three bills, including the HP Legislature assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2007, on the last day of the Budget session.

The Assembly also passed the HP Private Clinical Establishment Registration and Regulations Bill and HP Value Added Tax (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2007.

The HP Legislature assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2007, introduced in the Assembly and passed without discussion, seeks to provide driver, constituency, secretariat, postal facility, water and electricity allowances to the legislators.

The Bill also provides for second house building, car advance to former members who had repaid the previous advance along with interest.

Participating in the discussion on Value Added Tax (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2007, former chief minister apprehended that VAT was being lowered on liquor instead of foodgrains and was indicative of the government's priority.

He said instead of spending Rs three crore on campaign against drugs, the government could save that money by capping that campaign and lowering VAT on food grains to provide cheap rations to the people.

Replying to Mr Dhumal's statement, the Chief Minister said reduction on VAT had nothing to do with liquor being made cheaper in the state.

The prices of liquor being brought down to increase sales and was being rationalised in accordance with the rates of liquor in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

The Bill was later passed by a voice vote by the Assembly.

Participating in the discussion on the HP Private Clinical Establishment Registration and Regulation Bill, Kuldeep Singh Pathania (independent) said the aim of the Bill would be defeated if they were allowed to have provisional registration.

Replying to this the Chief Minister said provisional registration would only be given to clinics that submit a list of equipment and machinery available and to the clinics that were already functioning.

This Bill was also passed by a voice vote by the House.

UNI