Haryana Assembly refers Sports University Bill to House committee

CHANDIGARH : The Assembly on Thursday referred the Sports University of Haryana Bill, 2021, which was tabled a day earlier, to a select committee of the House. Opposition Congress members raised objection to a provision in Clause 6 of the bill, saying that according to it, no special provisions for the employment or admission of women, persons with disabilities or of persons belonging to the weaker sections of the society shall be made on the ground of domicile.

The state government had on Wednesday tabled the bill in the assembly for setting up a state-of-the-art sports university and it was taken up for consideration in the Assembly on Thursday. The Sports University of Haryana Bill, 2021, had been tabled in the assembly after the government withdrew the previous Sports University Bill of Haryana, 2019, following "certain observations from the Centre".

The fresh bill, which was introduced on Wednesday, had sought to remove objections raised by the central government. Raising objection to the provision in Clause 6, Congress members, including Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kiran Choudhry and B B Batra, claimed it runs contrary to the 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs to Haryana domicile candidates.

"This would mean no reservation for Haryana domiciled children. What is the use of this university then?" Hooda asked. "On one hand, they talk of reserving 75 per cent employment for the locals. On the other, a legislation is brought which runs contrary to that. So, I oppose this bill, it should be referred to the select committee," he said.

Later, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar referred the Bill to a select committee of the House on bills. The Assembly had on March 8 withdrew the Sports University Bill of Haryana, 2019, under which it had earlier announced to appoint cricket legend Kapil Dev as the chancellor.

Six other Bills were passed in the House on the last day of the two-week budget session. These include the Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property During Disturbance to Public Order Bill, 2021, and the Haryana Short Titles Amendment Bill, 2021. Under the Haryana Short Titles Amendment Bill, 2021, Haryana is set to do away with Punjab's name from the laws that had been applicable in the state ever since Haryana was carved out as a separate state in 1966.

The bill had been tabled in the Assembly on Monday and was taken up for consideration and passing on Thursday. As per the bill, the people of Haryana have always taken immense pride in their unique identity, both cultural and linguistic.

However, despite lapse of more than five decades, the laws applicable to Haryana still carry the word 'Punjab' and 'East Punjab' in a cursory reading, creating confusion among the masses with regard to application of such laws in the state, it said.

Congress members Hooda and Jagbir Singh Malik sought amendment in the bill, saying while titles would remove the word 'Punjab' from the Haryana laws, but body of the Act would still mention it. Speaker Gian Chand Gupta told the opposition members that a suitable amendment could be brought later.

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