Imphal, May 11: The State Assembly today unanimously passed a Private Member�s Resolution Bill on setting up a separate High Court for the State without any further delay.

However, another Private Member�s Resolution on setting up a State Medical Council was withdrawn after the State Government gave the assurance of introducing a Bill from its side in this regard. The Private Members� Resolution Bill seeking the unanimous approval of the House on setting up a separate High Court of the State was jointly moved by Opposition MLAs O Joy and RK Anand while the other resolution on setting up a State Medical Council was moved by Dr Ng Bijoy and I Ibohalbi. Pointing out the urgent need for setting up a separate High Court, O Joy and RK Anand highlighted the difficulties being faced by the people in going to Guwahati to face cases and seek justice.

They reminded that the purpose of setting up the Supreme Court as the highest apex court in the country, the High Courts and Lower Courts at the State level over and above the Women Commission and Human Rights Commission is for dispensation of justice to the people judiciously and efficiently. However, at present there are around 8,702 cases still pending in the Division and Single Bench of the Gauhati High Court.

Looking at these pending cases, there is the urgent need for setting up a separate High Court for the State, they said, while contending not to have a separate High Court in the State amounts to delaying justice to the people. In response to the resolution, Law Minister Th Debendra informed the House that when the State Government first proposed to the Centre for setting up a separate High Court, it was rejected on the ground that the pending cases are few and there is no adequate infrastructure.

However, since works have already been started for setting up a separate High Court, the House can take a resolution and submit the proposal all over again.

Moreover, now the number of pending cases has also gone up, the Minister said. Subsequently, the Private Member�s Resolution was unanimously passed by the House. Taking up the Private Resolution on setting up a State Medical Council, Dr Ng Bijoy and I Ibohalbi pointed out that Medical Councils have been set up in all the States which have medical colleges.

As there is no Medical Council of its own, since around 1997-98 while RIMS was known as RMC, students passing out from this institute have to go for registration under the Assam Medical Council.

This is shameful, they said. Setting up a State Medical Council would help in resolving various contentious issues like the number of faculties to be appointed, checking and monitoring of the private hospitals apart from the fact that the registration of the doctors who are found guilty in connection with the numerous complaints of alleged negligence of duty can be annulled from point of medical ethics, they asserted. In his response to the resolution, Health Minister Gaikhangam remarked that discussions have been going on for setting up a State Medical Council for the last 2-3 years.

However, materialisation of the same would take some time due to various factors.

Nonetheless, drafting on the matter has been completed and it is in the process of getting the approval of the Law Department and the Finance Department. He further said the State Government is trying to introduce a bill in this regard,.

However, if it could not be done so this time, the bill would be definitely introduced in the next session, he assured. Following the assurance given by the Minister, the two Opposition members agreed to withdraw the Private Member�s Resolution.

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