Odisha Assembly passes resolution on organ transplant

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 20:

Amid ruckus over the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on former Odisha DG Prakash Mishra, the state Assembly today passed the resolution on Transplantation of Human Organs on the third day of the ongoing Monsoon session.

As per the provisions of the newly enacted central law, persons involved in illegal transplantation of organs will be sentenced to a 10-year jail term with penalty of up to Rs 20 lakh. Earlier, it was 5-year jail term and penalty of up to Rs 10, 000.

“Several stringent provisions have been made in the Amended Act to put a curb on notorious elements involved in the illegal organ transplantation racket,” Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said.

Similarly, the penal provision for furnishing false information or affidavit in case of transplantation with commercial intent varies from 10-year jail term to penalty of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

Besides, the culprits would undergo a 3-year jail term and have to pay up to Rs 25 lakh penalty for organ transplantation with commercial intent without the permission of higher officials.

Notably, the Transplantation of Human Organs Bill 1994 was passed by parliament in June 1994 and later amended in 2011. As per Clause-1 of Article-252 of the constitution, Amendment Act can be made applicable to a state through a resolution to this effect by the state legislature.