The Senate Monday passed "The Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015". As many as six bills were introduced and five resolutions were passed by Senate on private members day. Similarly, 10 reports of various standing committees were also laid before the House. Senator Syed Sughra Imam of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) moved "The Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015" in the House. The House passed the bill without any opposition.
According to clause 2 of the Bill, "Sub-Sections (1) & (2) shall be substituted, namely: (1) The accounts of the Commission shall be audited annually by the Auditor-General of Pakistan, which includes post audit of the privatisation transactions completed in preceding financial year.
(2) The Commission, in addition to the audit by the Auditor-General, shall cause its accounts to be audited by external auditors, which includes the post audit of the privatisation transactions completed within the preceding financial year." According to object and reason of the bill, the privatisation process in Pakistan must be entirely transparent and conducted in a manner that will protect Pakistan's economic and strategic interests, both in the short and the long term. The privatisation process must, therefore, be improved to guarantee greater efficiency, openness and transparency in every privatisation transaction. Pakistan's strategic assets and national security interests must also be safeguarded and secured during this process.
The second bill, "The Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015" moved by Colonel Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (r) in the House. According to new insertion clause of the Bill; "7A Establishment of Medical Panels for Grant of Driving Licence for Public Transport Vehicles.- The Government shall establish Medical Panels, functional at the district or regional traffic police headquarters or SSP Traffic offices, comprising both Physicians and Optometrists, authorised to conduct medical check-up and grant, or refuse or defer, fitness certificate to applicants seeking fresh public transport driving licence, or renewal of previous one."
According to clause three of the Bill, new section shall be inserted, namely: "47A. Compulsory Insurance of Passengers of Fare-charging Public Transport Vehicles by AAA-Rating Insurance Companies and Renowned Banks.- Owners of all fare-charging public transport vehicles plying on intra-city or inter provincial routes shall be bound to ensure comprehensive insurance of passenger or commuters, through AAA-Rating Insurance Companies and renowned Banks, in case of death, injury, loss of limb as a result of accident, whereby the competent authority, as in this case the Court of Law, decrees that the responsibility lies with the permit-holder on account of negligence or recklessness or non-maintenance of vehicle or violation of traffic rules or overloading etc."
There is also Rs 300,000 compensation on injury to a passenger in a state carriage or contract carriage. There is Rs 200,000 compensation on permanent loss of limb or vision or hearing, Rs 100,000 for loss of thumb or fingers of hand or toe fracture or dislocation of bone or emasculation or loss of one eye, etc.
According to objects and reason of the bill, the bill seeks to amend the law for enhancing payment of compensation to victims of traffic accidents travelling in public transport vehicles; to ensure insurance of public transport vehicles' commuters by reputed Insurance Companies and Banks; and to facilitate constitution of Medical Panels authorised to check or certify medical health fitness of applicants or grantees of public transport vehicles.
The resolutions adopted by Senate unanimously are as fallow: "This House recommends that the government should take effective steps to check the sea intrusion along the coastal areas of Balochistan and Sindh particularly Karachi, Thatta and Badin."
"This House recommends that the government should take immediate steps to establish universities in each district of the country." "This House recommends that the government should provide subsidy on manufacturing and import of mechanised agricultural implements."
"This House recommends that the government should take effective steps to allocate sufficient time for telecasting social service programmes like promotion of agriculture and education and to create awareness amongst the people about proper use of water and energy on official and private media channels." "This House recommends that the government should take immediate steps to conduct 6th Housing and Population Census in the country."
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