LS passes Homoeopathy Central Council Amendment Bill, 2018
New Delhi : A bill that provides for supersession of the Central Council of Homeopathy and constituting a Board of Governors was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was introduced by Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik, and was intended to replace an ordinance brought by the government earlier this year.
The bill sought to amend the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973, under which the Central Council of Homoeopathy had been set up.
"To overcome the irregularities in the Council, the path of ordinance had to be chosen," said Naik.
During the discussion, BJP's Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' said: "About 10 million people of the country depend on homeopaths. There are 2 million homeopathy doctors in the country. We need 12,000 teachers every year but the registration is only for 6,000."
The bill provides that the Central Council will be reconstituted within one year from the date of its supersession and the Central government will, in the interim period, constitute a Board of Governors, which will exercise powers of the Central Council.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill states that there have been instances of serious malpractices in the Council due to which there has been compromise in the quality of medical education.
It also states that the Council had been stalling efforts by the Central government to streamline its functioning.
Revolutionary Socialist Party's N.K. Premchandran said: "There are two pending bills related to homeopathy in the Rajya Sabha. In such a situation, what was the need for the government to bring this bill."