By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) Bill seems to have courted controversies within central ministries even before it is tabled in the Parliament, and so it has been decided to redraft it.
The draft Bill has been prepared and circulated by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, the nodal agency for the proposed Act, but now following the questions raised by some ministeries over some points in the bill, the Union Ministry of Law and Justice has decided to redraft it to make it acceptable to all.
It is reported that a majority of Central government ministries including Home, HRD and Law have refused to accept the draft Bill in its present form. Now their objections will be taken into consideration.
Home Secretary G K Pillai is reported to have written that the definition of “deprived group” in the draft bill was “vague” and “liable for misuse”. Pillai is also of the view that “equal opportunities have to be given to individuals and can’t be given to groups because within the groups there would be persons who are more advantaged”.
The government has announced to set up the EOC on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee and once the Act is passed, it would result in the establishment of a seven-member ombudsman to address the grievances of “deprived groups”.