‘Act to be amended through bill in assembly session’
BHOPAL : The state government is all set to end the legal discrimination against leprosy patients. There was a diversity of views over the curability of the disease. However , government of India, in a case in the Supreme court over discrimination against leprosy patients, admitted that it was a curable disease.
With the Supreme court issuing order, the state government will amend various Acts which provides for keeping leprosy patients in seclusion and away from healthy people.
The government in the monsoon session of the assembly is going to table ‘Madhya Pradesh Bhikshavritti Nivaran (amendment) Act’. So far, beggars suffering from leprosy are kept in custody or hospitals in seclusion. The amendment has been made to keep leprosy patients with normal people. Besides this, amendment in the Panchayat Act which does not consider leprosy patients eligible to contest elections will also be made.
Social justice department, principal secretary, Ashok Shah said amendment in ‘Bhikshavritti Bill’, related to leprosy patients, is being made by the department. This has been done in the context of the order of the Supreme Court. Shah said he does not know what provisions are being made by the other departments.
