The Arunachal Times

‘No request for providing funds directly to ADCs’

New Delhi, Jul 28: Development of North Eastern Region Minister B K Handique today said his Ministry has not received any request from north eastern governments, including Assam, under Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources(NLCPR) scheme for creating a mechanism to provide central funds directly to autonomous district councils(ADCs) in the northeast region.

The funding was done under the NLCPR scheme to all the ADCs of the north eastern states, including Assam and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas of Assam, through their respective governments, an official statement said here. UNI

Assembly passes bill snapping dual registration of NRI docs

Kolkata, Jul 28: The West Bengal Assembly today unanimously passed a Bill snapping dual registration of NRI doctors and giving teeth to the summons of Medical Council of India (MCI) to make it mandatory for all physicians, including those practising abroad, to be present for inquiry in case of complaints of negligence in treatment.

The West Bengal Medical Council Bill (Amendment), 2009 which now awaits Presidential assent for official enactment, also stipulates greater penalty for erring doctors, found guilty of medical negligence.

The Bill was passed in the absence of the Opposition Trinamool Congress and Congress as the former had been on a boycot of the proceedings and the latter had staged a walk out for the day in the first half.

According to the Bill, NRI doctors, practising abroad and having foreign citizenship, will cease to have registration, issued by MCI back in the country, which they held so far in addition to the ones in their present places of residence.

The Bill also made it obiligatory for all such doctors to respond to the summons of MCI for any inquiry into medical negligence, a measure, providing legal power to the apex body of medical practitioners which remained wanting so far with doctors often ignoring summons.

The Bill stipulates enhancement of sentence for the doctors, proved guilty of medical negligence, to three years' term in jail from the existing one year while increasing the fine to Rs. 50,000 from Rs.10,000. UNI

UK persuades India to sign WTO pact

Bangalore, Jul 28: It was time India, poised to emerge as a global economic giant, ''hammers out'' a global deal on trade by signing the World Trade Organisation (WTO) pact, British Prime Minister David Cameron today said.

Speaking during his visit to the campus of IT major Infosys Technologies here, he said, ''India should agree on Doha (Development Round). Do you know how much India would add to the world economy.

It can be as much as 170 billion US dollars. So what is holding it back?'' India, besides China, had rejected the negotiation in 2008 rounds which led to collapse of negotiations over issues of agricultural trade. India and the US had repeatedly disagreed over the special safeguard mechanism, a measure designed to protect poor farmers by allowing countries to impose a special tariff on certain agricultural goods in the event of an import surge or price fall. Cameron said he would like India to complete the Doha Development Round ''as it is''. ''That’s why, rightly, I’m pushing for it,''.

He agreed that the negotiations were not moving at present. Those countries that passionately wanted to see progress must now make out the case for trade, he felt.

''One way that I believe we can do so is by establishing a high level group of the best minds and strongest advocates for trade to point the way forward. I believe we will all need to show greater ambition. We need to make the deal bigger in order to make progress. UNI