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By Our Special Correspondent
The changes, to be introduced in the form of a Bill in Parliament, also envisage setting up State-level supervisory bodies, in addition to the existing Central Supervisory Board, to tighten the mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the Act and empower the appropriate authority to search, seize and seal machines, equipment and records of those who violate the provisions of the Act. Besides, the amendments will ensure that ultrasound machines are sold only by institutions registered under the Act and make maintenance of records mandatory in respect of the use of these and other equipments capable of detecting the sex of the foetus. Announcing the Cabinet decision, Union Minister and spokesperson of the Cabinet, Pramod Mahajan, said that under the new provisions, offenders could be fined up to Rs. 1 lakh and their registrations cancelled. In a statement, the Union Health Minister, C.P.Thakur, said that apart from tightening the Act, the Government had also formulated a plan to generate public awareness about the Act through NGOs such as the Family Planning Association of India, and the Voluntary Health Association of India. So far, since 1994 when the Act came into force, 299 cases had been registered and 232 machines seized. West Bengal and Tamil Nadu led the list, reporting seizures of 110 and 64 machines respectively.
ST list to be modified
The Cabinet also cleared a proposal to modify the list of Schedule Tribes under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act as recommended by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In all, 140 Scheduled Tribes from across the length and breadth of the country would be covered under the amendment. While in Tamil Nadu, the tribe of `Kanikaran' from Ambasamudram taluk in Tirunelveli district would now be included in the list, in Karnataka, `Siddhi' from Uttar Karnataka district and several synonyms of Medha and Padhi would be included. In Kerala, `Aranadan', `Wayanad Kadar', `Kurichiyan', `Mala Arayan', `Malavedan', `Ullatan', `Cholanaickan', `Mala Panickar', and several synonyms of `Hill Pulaya', `Kuruman', and `Malayan' would be included. Tribes such as `Kammara', `Konda Kappu', `Kondreddis' and `Kota' would be excluded from the list. `Mavilan' and `Karimplan', which now figure in the list of Scheduled Castes would be included in the Scheduled Tribes list. In Andhra Pradesh, `Sadhu Andh', `Koitur', `Kolawar', `Kubi', `Kuvinga', `Banjara', `Nakkala' and `Kurvikaran' and several synonyms of `Yerukulas', `Yenadis', `Koyas', and `Gadabas', would be included, while `Chenchuwar', and `Mannervarlu' would be excluded.
Judges' family pension
The Cabinet further decided to base the family pension provided to the Judges of High Courts and the Supreme Court on the last drawn pay, instead of the present system, with retrospective effect from January 1, 1996. Also the consulate in Mandalay, Myanmar, will be reopened as part of an agreement under which the Myanmarese Government would reopen its consulate in Kolkatta. It also decided to revise the pay scales of senior engineering assistants in All India Radio and Doordarshan in accordance with the orders of CAT, Bangalore, which was subsequently upheld by the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court. It was also decided to introduce a special terminal benefit package for the employees of the Bharat Gold Mines. The package would be primarily on the lines of the one offered in December 2000, with the difference that the employees would be allowed to choose either the voluntary separation pattern adopted by the Heavy Industry Ministry or that of the Gujarat Government. The Cabinet decided to sign and ratify an extradition treaty with Spain and enter into a pact with the Slovak Republic for avoiding double taxation and preventing fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
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