A key bill, which Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed an important step in the direction of military reforms, passed the Lok Sabha on Friday. The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, empowers commanders of inter-services organisations to exercise control over personnel, irrespective of their service branch.
Singh, who tabled the bill, passed it amid Opposition protests over the Manipur issue. According to the defence minister, the bill is a significant step towards the integration of the three wings of the Armed Forces.
"This bill is an important step towards integration and jointness in the three wings of our Armed Forces so that they will be able to face the challenges of the future in a united and integrated manner", Rajnath Singh said. He added that the bill does not include any additional financial implications.
The Inter-Services Organisation (Command, Control, and Discipline) Bill, 2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 15. On April 24, the Speaker sent it to the Standing Committee on Defence for review and a report. The Standing Committee on Defence approved all the provisions of the bill and the House panel recommended that the bill should be passed without any amendments.
According to the defence minister, at present, the service personnel of the Air Force, Army and Navy are governed by the provisions of the Air Force Act, 1950, the Army Act 1950, and the Navy Act, 1957. Only officers of the respective services are empowered to exercise disciplinary powers over the service personnel.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Friday amid an uproar in the House over the issue of law and order situation in Rajasthan.
Soon after the House met at 12, the ruling party members referred to the killing of a girl in Rajasthan and wanted the House to take up a discussion on the law and order situation in the state.
A 14-year-old girl was allegedly murdered and later burned in a coal furnace in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district, with locals claiming that she was also gang-raped.
Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said the situation is "very bad" in Rajasthan and that the state government has failed on all counts to maintain law and order. Alleging that crimes against women were on the rise in the state, he said "our daughters and sisters in the state were not safe and urged the chairman to take up the matter for discussion".
After the Chairman allowed the Leader of the Opposition to raise his point, there was uproar in the House by treasury benches. The chairman then adjourned the House for the day.
(With inputs from PTI)