Jammu: The Legislative  Assembly Tuesday passed the JK Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill which seeks to allow payment of honorarium to chairpersons of District Planning and Development Boards and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of Block Development Councils.
Six bills were moved in the House of which five were passed while the remaining one was referred to the Joint Select Committee for scrutiny.
The bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, was moved by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Ali Mohammad Sagar, and passed following a brief discussion.
The bill is based on the provisions of the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution with Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi having given his support to the cause for empowering Panchayat Raj institutions.
Among others, a bill to amend the JK Value Added Tax Act, 2005, was also passed. The bill moved by Finance Minister AR Rather was passed unanimously by the House.
Another bill to amend the Ranbir Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Act was moved by Rather on behalf of the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs minister.
This bill was passed unanimously through voice vote.
A bill to amend the Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act, 1969, was moved by Minister for Higher Education, Mohd Akbar Lone. The bill was passed by the House with specific amendments moved by Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Harshdev Singh and Ch Zulfkar Ali.
A bill to establish a paramedical council in the state and to regulate the services of paramedical practitioners and institutions was moved by the Minister for Health and Medical Education, Taj Mohi-ud-Din. It was passed with amendments which were moved by Harshdev Singh and Dr Mustafa Kamal.
The Assembly session, which was spread over 18 sittings, was later adjourned sine die.

KR Desk