The opinion of the attorney general on the constitutional validity of the bill has already been laid on the table of this house. Hon. Members may have also seen reports of the discussions in the other house which have since been circulated to them. I have nothing much to add to these issues except to confirm that, in our view parliament is fully competent to legislate on a measure of this type and that the restrictions which this bill seeks to impose are reasonable restrictions and are, in the interests of the general public, within the meaning of article 19 (5) of the constitution. Government are taking powers to provide for suitable reductions or exemptions, wherever they may be justified to ensure that the bill does not impose any undue hardship. The schemes to be drawn up will be laid before parliament and hon. It has also been suggested that if it is not possible to exclude this category altogether, a higher exemption limit may be fixed for them. We have very carefully considered these suggestions. May I inform the house that before the bill was drafted, there were detailed discussions with the chief ministers and finance ministers of the states and the conclusions reached were that in a comprehensive legislation of this type, it would not be appropriate to exclude the rural sector which has also had its fair share of rising incomes and growth in agricultural production and economy? There are so many lacunae in the NREGA programme and the National Rural Health Mission. These are just anouncements. People have been waiting to get the benefits of these pgorammes, which are not reaching them. Therefore, to make the benefits reach them, we have to have redical reforms. For all this to happen, the Government has to have the will to do it. I remember, on the floor of this House itself the hon. Minister of Health had announced that the Medical Council of India would be looked into and reviewed and the reforms would be made so that the doctors, after getting the degrees, would serve for a minimum of three years in the rural areas.
