The National Council adopted the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse Amendment Bill 2017 today.
Of the 21 members present at the session, one abstained, while the rest voted in favor of the amendments the Social and Cultural Affairs Committee made to the bill.
The National Council decided to go with the National Assembly’s amendment regarding Section 59 of the bill. It is endorsed the Narcotics Control Board may amend the Schedules of substances in the Schedule or the whole Schedule or quantification of any of the substances deemed to be abused or trafficked, upon the recommendation of the competent technical advisory committee formed under it.
“We expect that the technical advisory committee should comprise of experts, and after a thorough research, they can propose to the board for amendment and board can accordingly make the changes,” said MP Nima, the Chairperson of the Social and Cultural Affairs Committee.
The House, however, decided to add a new section – 59 A which states- The board shall submit to the parliament for information as and when the schedules are revised or updated.
The members also held discussions on 15 other provisions of the bill submitted for amendment. Prior to presenting the bill to the house yesterday, the Social and Cultural Affairs Committee members met with the officials of the Bhutan Narcotics Control Authority, Drug Regulatory Authority, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital and Royal Bhutan Army Hospital.
“It would be important to include other amendments proposed by the BNCA because once the laws are enacted, if we try to amend every now and then, it doesn’t look good,” said the Chairperson of the Social and Cultural Affairs Committee.
“So, therefore we thought that once we start the amendment, its better that we also take into consideration all the 16 points proposed for amendment by the BNCA.”
One of the three new sections the National Council endorsed also includes that “A person charged under Section 152 of this Act shall remain under custody of the authorized officer or law enforcement agency until he or she is produced before the treatment assessment panel till the completion of the treatment as provided in the rules and regulations.”
The house will forward the bill with its endorsed amendments to the National Assembly.
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