The Gujarat state assembly on Wednesday passed two bills in the house unanimously with the support of the opposition Congress. The earlier scheduled third bill of bringing in amendment on prohibition bill was cancelled due to time availability.
The Gujarat University of Transplantation Sciences (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed unanimously with the support of the Congress members present in the house. According to the provisions of the amended law, the office of the pro chancellor will be removed to bring parity with other university laws and now the governor will preside over the convocation as the chancellor of the university.
The idea of setting up such a University was conceived in 1998 and the seed of its inception was laid down by Prof. HL Trivedi, the Founding Director of Smt. Gulabben Rasiklal Doshi and Smt. Kamlaben Mafatlal Mehta Institute of Kidney Diseases & Research Centre - Dr. HL Trivedi Institute of Transplantation Sciences (IKDRC-ITS), Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The idea received whole hearted support from the then Chief Minister (CM) of Gujarat Anandiben Patel.
While speaking on the bill Arjun Modhwadia, the legislator from Porbandar, said that the government should bring in a law that requires a person to declare that their organs and body parts should not be transplanted so that the undeclared person's body parts and organs could be utilised for transplantation when such persons die in accidents.
Kirit Patel, the legislator from Patan said that while mentioning about the university one cannot forget the contribution of Dr HL Trivedi, who dedicated his life for such a cause. He also spoke about all the development carried out in various earlier governments including Gujarat's first women Chief Minister, Anandiben Patel, during whose tenure the bill for this university was introduced. "So it's not that everything happened under Modi," Patel said.
Recognising the efforts and contribution of HL Trivedi, the health Minister who brought in the bill said, "Definitely, Dr HL Trivedi’s contribution cannot be forgotten, but the seed that was planted by him has now grown into a large tree, which has been provided water, fertilizer and nurturing by the government. And we are not going to compromise the autonomy of the IKDRC-ITS or its functioning."
The assembly house also passed another Bill unanimously on Wednesday, Gujarat Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control (Revival of Operation and Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The amendment bill signifies significant implications for rental property management and hospitality establishments across Gujarat. The amendment extends the operation of the Act until the 31st March, 2026, replacing the previous cut-off date of March 31, 2021. This extension underscores the state government’s commitment to upholding regulatory mechanisms that promote fair practices, protect tenant rights, and ensure stability in the rental and hospitality sectors for the next five years.
