Public health bill: Governor seeks clarification

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Muhammad Khan has sought an explanation from the government on the public health bill passed in the last legislative session. This is after the non-allopathic doctors protested against the bill to the Governor. Their complaint was sent to the government for clarification.

The Governor also decided to seek legal advice on the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill. These bills were passed without discussion in the last legislative session amid opposition uproar. The Governor, who went to Delhi yesterday, will return on the 20th.

In the Public Health Bill, the main complaint is that the AYUSH category has not been given adequate consideration. Registered medical practitioners have been given the authority to issue disease-free certificates to those affected by infectious diseases, but Ayurveda and Homeo sects do not have complete freedom of treatment.

The Governor is examining the legality of the Bill amending the Private Forests (Vesting and Assignment) Act, 1971 to provide relief to small and marginal farmers holding up to fifty cents of private forest land. The Bill proposes to grant ownership of land by considering possession documents submitted by farmers as admissible evidence. Earlier, the forest department had raised objections regarding giving concessions to farmers and the proof they produce.