The Assam Government on Wednesday tabled the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024 in the state legislative assembly.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika introduced the bill in the House on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The said bill aims to bring social awakening in the society and to create healthy, science-based knowledge and safe environment to protect human health against the evil and sinister practices thriving on ignorance and ill-health of people to eradicate the non-scientific healing practices with ulterior motives for exploiting the innocent people and thereby destroying the fiber of the public health of the society.

As per the section 3 of the bill, it empowers the government to prohibit evil or magical healing practices for treatment of certain diseases and health disorder.

Section 4 of the bill empowers the government to prohibit misleading advertisement for evil or magical healing practices.

Section 5 of the bill empowers the government to impose punishment to any person for any act of inhuman, evil or magical healing or propagation or promotion of such practices or black magic acts.

Section 6 of the bill empowers the government impose punishment for such evil or magical healing practices with imprisonment for one year which may extend up to three years or with fine of Rs 50,000 or with both. In case of subsequent conviction of a person, the imprisonment may extend up to five years or with fine Rs 1 lakh or both.

Further, the section 9 of the bill empowers the government to nominate the police officers as Vigilance officer and section 16 of the bill empowers the government to frame rules to carry out the provisions of the said bill.