Parliamentary panel attached to the Health Ministry has asked the Ministry to speed up the process to finalise and table the long-pending HIV/AIDS Bill that has been doing rounds between the ministries and departments since 2006.

The Union Health Ministry on its part said it was still examining the comments received from many departments and still waiting for responses from some departments on the final draft it circulated among the stakeholders.

“The Committee understands that the proposed HIV/AIDS Bill requires detailed analysis before being introduced in the Parliament. At the same time the Committee expects that the Department could have been more proactive in taking the Bill to its logical conclusion. The Committee, therefore, urges upon the Department to take concrete steps to ensure that the Bill is introduced at the earliest,” the Standing Committee said in its recent report.

The draft of the Bill was recast and referred to Ministry of Law and Justice in September 2011 and again in December, 2011 for vetting. Thereafter, a note along with the draft of the Bill was prepared which was circulated to various Ministries/ Departments in March, 2012, for their comments, according to the Ministry in its action taken report submitted to the panel.

“The comments of most of the Ministries/ Departments have been received which are being examined. Comments of a few are awaited. They have been reminded to expedite their comments. The Department has been taking all measure to speed up the process for completion of various requirements before introduction of the bill in the Parliament,” it said.

The panel had also came down on the Ministry in its earlier report, expressing strong displeasure on the inordinate delay even though six years were passed. “The reasons given by the Department are not acceptable and frivolous and clearly indicate the manner in which it continues to sideline this crucial law that is aimed at not only protecting the rights of people living with HIV and marginalized population but also to protect public health. The cases of discrimination in healthcare, education and within their families have not gone down and in fact continue to endanger the lives of millions of HIV+, while the Department delays action,” according to its previous report.