(1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Paramedical Council Act, 2011.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(1) The Government shall, as soon as may be, after the commencement of this Act, establish by notification in the Official Gazette, a Council to be called the Maharashtra Paramedical Council with effect from such date as may be specified therein.
(1) The Council shall consist of the following members, namely:-
(1) The Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, publish the names of the elected and nominated members.
A person shall be disqualified for being nominated or elected as, and for continuing as, a member,-
(1) The President or the Vice-President or a nominated member may at any time resign his office, by submitting a letter of resignation to the Government, under intimation to the Registrar of the Council. The resignation shall take effect from the date on which it is accepted by the Government.
(1) If any member other than ex-officio member, during the term of his office,-
Any casual vacancy, before the expiry of the term of a member, other than an ex-officio member, caused by reason of death, resignation, disqualification, disability or any cause, shall be filled in, as soon as may be, by nomination or election, as the case may be, and the person so nominated or elected shall hold the office for the unexpired term of his predecessor.
(1) The President shall convene and fix the date of every meeting, which may either be ordinary or special.
The President may, if he thinks fit, within a period of not more than two weeks of the receipt of a written requisition, signed by not less than seven members call a special meeting.
The President when present shall preside over every meeting of the Council. If at any meeting the President is absent, then the Vice-President, and in the absence of both, some other member elected by the members present, from amongst themselves, shall preside over such meeting.
Except as otherwise provided by or under this Act, all questions at a meeting of the Council shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting at the meeting and in case of an equality of votes, the presiding authority at a meeting shall exercise a second or a casting vote.
The procedure for adjournment of, quorum at and recording of minutes of meeting of the Council shall be such as may be prescribed.
No act or proceedings of the Council shall be invalid merely by reason of,-
(1) There shall be paid to the President, the Vice-President and other members, such allowances for attendance at meetings and such reasonable travelling and other allowances, as may be prescribed.
(1) The Council may, if deemed appropriate or necessary, invite any person having special knowledge or experience in paramedical field or related studies or practice, or in other fields relevant to the objects and functions of the Council, to any of its meetings. Such person shall have the right to take part in the discussions but shall have no right to vote.
(1) The Council may appoint from time to time, and for such period, a committee or committees consisting of such number of its members as it may think fit and may refer to such committee or committees for enquiry and report or for opinion, any matter for the purposes of this Act.
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, the Council shall exercise such powers and perform such functions as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(1) The paramedical qualifications granted by the Indian Medical Institutions which are included in the First Schedule to the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956), shall be deemed to be the recognized paramedical qualifications for the purposes of this Act.
(1) The Council shall, with the prior approval of the Government, appoint a Registrar who shall act as the Secretary of the Council.
(1) It shall be the duty of the Registrar to prepare and maintain the State Register in accordance with the provisions of this Act and any order made by the Council, from time to time, and to revise the State Register and to publish the order in the Official Gazette, in such manner as may be determined by regulations.
(1) The Council shall establish a fund to be called the Council Fund.
The Council Fund shall be applied to the following objects, namely:-
(1) The accounts of the Council shall be audited before such date and at such intervals and in such manner, as may be prescribed.
(1) As soon as may be, after the commencement of this Act, the Registrar shall prepare and maintain a State Register of 1[paramedical practicing personnel] for the State, in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
The Council may, upon a reference from the Registrar or otherwise, by order, prohibit the entry in or, order the removal from the State Register, the name of any person,-
(1) The Council may, after giving the person concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard and enquiring into his objections, if any, order that any entry in the State Register which, in the opinion of the Council, has been fraudulently or incorrectly made or brought about, be cancelled or amended.
(1) In holding of any inquiry under this section, the Council shall have the powers as vested in Civil Courts under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), when trying a suit in respect of the following matters, namely:-
Any person,-
(1) No person other than a registered paramedical practitioner whose name is entered in the State Register prepared and maintained under this Act shall practice as a 1[paramedical practicing personnel].
If any person not being a registered 1[paramedical practicing personnel] takes or uses the description of paramedical practitioner or consultant or is not possessing a recognized paramedical qualification, or uses a degree or a diploma, or an abbreviation indicating or implying such paramedical qualification, shall, on conviction, be punished,-
If any person whose name has been removed from the State Register fails, without sufficient cause, forthwith to surrender his certificate of registration or renewed certificate of registration, or both, he shall, on conviction, be punished with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees per month of such failure.
Any person who,-
(1) No court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under this Act, except upon a complaint, in writing, made by the Registrar or any other officer authorized by the Council in this behalf, by general or special order.
The Council shall forward such reports, copies of its minutes, abstracts of its accounts and other information to the Government, as the Government may require.
If it appears to the Government, on the reports of the Council or otherwise, that any paramedical subject is not specified or any paramedical subject needs to be deleted or needs some modification, the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, amend the Schedule so as to include therein such subject not already specified therein or omit therefrom any subject or modify the description of any subject.
(1) If at any time, it appears to the Government that the Council or its President or Vice-President has failed to exercise or has exceeded or misused any of the powers conferred upon it or him by or under this Act, or has ceased to perform any of the duties imposed upon it or him by or under this Act, or has ceased to perform any of the duties imposed upon it or him by or under this Act, the Government may, if it considers such failure, excess, misuse or incapacity to be of a serious nature, notify the particulars thereof to the Council or the President or the Vice-President, as the case may be. If the Council or the President or the Vice-President, fails to remedy such failure, excess, misuse or incapacity within such reasonable time as the State Government may fix in this behalf, the Government may remove the President, Vice-President or dissolve the Council.
No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the Government, Council, President, Vice-President, member or any officer or other employee of the Council or of the Government for anything which is done or intended to be done in good faith under this Act.
(1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, and subject to the condition of previous publication, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act. Such rules may be made to provide for all or any of the matters expressly required or allowed by this Act to be prescribed by rules.
(1) The Council may, with the previous sanction of the Government make regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, for enabling it to perform its functions under this Act and generally to carry out the purposes of the Act, by notification in the Official Gazette.
(1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Government may, as occasion arises, by an order, published in the Official Gazette, do anything, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, which appears to it to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of removing the difficulty: