On August 1, the Lok Sabha passed the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order Amendment Bill 2023. The Union Social Justice Ministry introduced this bill on July 24 in the Lok Sabha, seeking to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950 for the State of Chhattisgarh. The proposed amendment aims to include two synonyms, “Mahara” and “Mahra,” for the Mahar community in the State’s Scheduled Castes list. By doing so, the bill will extend government schemes and benefits meant for Scheduled Castes to approximately 2 lakh more people in Chhattisgarh. This move comes ahead of the State’s upcoming Assembly elections later this year.
In addition to that, the Lok Sabha also saw the introduction of another bill today – the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill 2023. Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, presented the bill to replace the existing ordinance for control of services in Delhi. The bill grants the Central Government the authority to make rules related to the affairs of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, including the functions, terms, and conditions of service of officers and employees.
During the introduction of the bill, opposition members, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, NK Premachandran, and Shashi Tharoor, expressed their opposition. However, Home Minister Amit Shah defended the bill, emphasizing that the Constitution grants the Lok Sabha the power to pass any law concerning Delhi. He referred to a Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the parliament’s authority to legislate on matters concerning Delhi. Amit Shah accused the opposition parties of opposing the bill for political reasons.
The ordinance for control of services in Delhi was promulgated by the Central Government on May 19, following a Supreme Court order on the issue. The new bill aims to replace this ordinance and provide a legislative framework for the governance and functioning of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
