Transforming Tilganga Eye Hospital into University not a subject of organization transfer-AG

Kathmandu, Jan 19: Attorney General Ramesh Badal has said the issues concerning the position, property, and people management of the existing hospital must be clear before concluding the ‘Tilganga Eye Hospital Bill, 2081.’

Responding to queries raised during a deliberation on the ‘Tilganga Eye University Bill 2081 BS’ in the National Assembly’s Legislative Management Committee, he argued that transforming the hospital into a university could be carried forward as per the law.

Questions such as, Can non-government organizations be terminated by enacting a law or not? Can the Parliament make a law and declare that the property will be established at the time of the dissolution of an NGO? were asked in the deliberation. The committee had asked six questions of the attorney general, including whether the employees of an NGO can come to the public entity when the Constitution and the prevailing laws require the involvement of the Public Service Commission in the appointment of employees in public bodies.

Badal said although the non-government organization (NGO) is going to be converted into a university instead of handing it over, it is necessary to ensure the rights and facilities of the workers as per the Labor Act. The committee has received suggestions that it would be appropriate to move forward based on retention and take matters of employee interest seriously.

The committee members said that it would be appropriate to convert the university into an excellent academic center in the field of eye health. They stressed the need to refine the bill and conclude it as soon as possible, as the issue of building a university for the study, teaching, and research of the eye is an important and sensitive part of the body.

Committee member Narayan Kaji Shrestha stressed the need to ensure the acquisition of the land in the name of the institution, which was supposed to be merged before the formulation of the law. The government has brought the bill with the concept of establishing a university to provide quality education in the field of eye health in higher education and increase easy access to eye health services in the international arena by producing quality materials. —RSS