Dharamsala: The ninth day of the third session of the 17^th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile began with the continuation of deliberation over the second reading of the legislative amendment on the rules of the Public Service Commission. The amendment proposed in clause 16, clause 19 (3) (4) (6) passed for the third reading with two-third votes in the house. However, amendments to clause 17 (3) and clause 19 (5) of the Public Service Commission were repealed after they failed to receive the required number of votes in the house.

Following that, Legislative Procedure-First and Second Reading on amendment of Article 63 (II)(C) of the Charter of Tibetans-in-Exile, the amendment proposed by Sikyong Penpa Tsering and supported by Kalon Gyari Dolma was also repealed after it failed to receive the required number of votes from the members of Parliament.

Thereafter, the deliberation on the budget of the Department of Religion and Culture continued from the previous day’s agenda with Parliamentarians raising questions and Sikyong Penpa Tsering, Kalon of the Department of Religion and Culture, providing requisite clarifications on the workshop on the Tibetan language provided by the LTWA, on increasing stipend for hermits of the mountains of Dharamsala, and on many others.

Similarly, proposed budgets of the  Department of Health (DoHe), Tso-Jhe hospital (hospitals under DoHe); Delhi Health Clinic (under DoHe), Sonada Health Clinic (Under DoHe), Ngeonga Schoola (a school for Tibetan Children with Special Need under DoHe), Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society (STSS), Tibetan Reception Centres of Nepal, Delhi, Sonauli & Dharamsala, the Department of Home, the Chief Representative Office of South Zone and five Tibetan Settlements without Local Tibetan Assemblies (Tibetan Settlement offices of Delhi, Sharkhum, Dickeylarsoe, Darjeeling, and Lugsam) were approved after due deliberation.

Thereafter, Surkyol budget of the Department of Education, the budget of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission, and Special Recurring Budget of the Tibetan Election Commission which were left open from a previous seating were also sanctioned.

Parliamentarians applauded the frontline workers, institutes, NGOs, and individuals for their immense sacrifices and for their valuable contributions during the pandemic caused by Covid-19. Questions raised in the house by the Parliamentarians with regard to the undertaking of the Department of Health (DoHe) were answered by Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the incumbent Kalon of DoHe clarifying doubts on the Tibetan Medicare System (TMS), various projects of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), challenges from COVID-19, substance abuse problem in the Tibetan community, mental health issues, providing sanitary napkins to Tibetan school girls, waste management, and others.

Today’s session adjourned at 7:30 pm until 9:30 am tomorrow.