STAFF Reporter / New Delhi
Lok Sabha today passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 which is aimed at prohibiting commercial surrogacy and unethical practices relating to it.
The Bill has provisions to constitute National Surrogacy Board, State Surrogacy Boards and appointment of appropriate authorities for regulation of surrogacy.
It permits surrogacy only for couples who cannot conceive a child. The intending couple must be Indian citizens and married for at least five years with at least one of them being infertile.
The surrogate mother has to be a close relative who has been married and has a child of her own.
Introducing the Bill, Health Minister J P Nadda said, the bill is aimed at stopping the exploitation of Indian women.
NCP member Supriya Shule favoured the Bill to permit single parents also to have children through surrogacy.
The deadlock between the government and the opposition over the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the acquisition of Rafale fighter jets continued to disrupt the proceedings in both the Houses of Parliament for the seventh day on Wednesday.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day on Rafale and other issues.
In the Lok Sabha, Congress members created ruckus since the House met for the day in support of their demand with some of them displaying placards.
AIADMK members sought to withdraw permission for Detailed Project Report for the proposed Mekedatu dam across River Cauvery.
TDP members were also in the well seeking financial benefits for Andhra Pradesh.
Some BJP members raised slogans against Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi for his allegations against the Government on the Rafale deal. Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress alleged that there were irregularities in the aircraft deal leading to loss of public exchequer.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar rejected the opposition demand of JPC. He, however, assured that the government is ready for a detailed discussion on the issue. He said the Apex court has cleared all the air over the deal.
Later, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the house for the day as noisy scenes continued.
The Rajya Sabha also failed to transact any business for the seventh day today as Rafale aircraft deal and other issues rocked the House. Some of the Congress MPs sought an apology from the government for allegedly misleading both the House and the Supreme Court on the acquisition and pricing of Rafale jets, while others rushed to the well holding placards to demand a JPC into the deal.
Amidst the din, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel accused Congress of disrupting proceedings and said the government is ready for discussion on all issues, including Rafale. As noisy scenes continued, the Chairman adjourned the House for the day.