The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of ‘The Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Bill, 2016’, raising compensation against land value by three times than the average value in the areas concerned.The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the Chair.Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said draft law has been prepared in the light of ‘The Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Ordinance 1982’ in which the value of compensation for land acquisition is one and half times.Shafiul Alam said the Cabinet observed that the issue of land requisition is a very complex one, particularly the terms ‘Public Purpose’ and ‘Public Interest’ used in the draft law needed to be explained more clearly.
“That’s why, the Cabinet formed a committee with the Law Minister as its convener and secretaries to the Ministry of Land and Defence as its members to further clarify the terms,” he said adding the committee can also coopt more members, if necessary.Besides, there is an observation from the High Court in this regard, Shafiul Alam said adding that the terms should be self-explanatory as well as the purpose of requisition will have to be clarified.About determination of the value of compensation, Shafiul Alam said the average value of the documents of the land purchased in previous 12 months of a area concerned would be the value of the land.In today’s meeting, the Cabinet also gave the final approval to the draft of ‘The Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons Bill, 2016’ aimed at improving healthcare services through creating more specialists medical professionals by providing them improved education and training.President, the vice president and treasurer of the council would be selected by the members themselves following the guideline specified by the rules, he said.About the council’s function, the Cabinet Secretary said it would conduct FCPS and MCPS examinations and give certificates to those who would come out successful, appoint an examination board to conduct various examinations of the college and fix examination fees and other annual ones.”Such a law would help ensure better facilities in maintaining the principles of medical profession as well arranging postgraduate medical training,” he added.About the function of the college, the cabinet Secretary said it would improve healthcare facilities by creating specialists in every section of the medical science.It would also arrange postgraduate courses, research programmes, training programmes as well as arrange discussion among specialist physicians, postgraduate students on some specific topics related to all the branches of the medical education, he said.Besides, it would organise seminars, symposiums, workshops, exhibitions and such other programmes to this end, he added.Shafiul Alam said the council will have an executive committee to be formed with two persons among the president, senior vice president, vice president, treasurer, members and its secretary, and the council itself will determine the jurisdiction of the executive committee.The Cabinet also gave approval to the draft of the ‘Palli Sanchay Bank (amendment) Ordinance, 2016’ for placing it in parliament.Earlier, the draft law was given final approval in the cabinet on 7th of November last withdrawing the time bar on merging the ‘One House One Farm’ project with the Palli Sanchay Bank.As Parliament was not in session at that time, an ordinance was promulgated to this end considering the urgency of the law.Meanwhile, at the outset of the meeting, the Cabinet also unanimously adopted a condolence motion at the death of former President of Cuba Fidel Castro who died on November 25 at the age of 90.
source:UNB
