Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi, With only four working days for the Parliament this week, the government appears to have a packed agenda, which could mean another round of intense battle in both Houses over issues such as the GST and agrarian crisis.
The GST Bill (The Constitution 122nd Amendment Bill, 2014), moved by the Finance Minister last week, has been listed for consideration and passage in Lok Sabha on Monday. The opposition, meanwhile, has accused the government of changing its stand and has demanded that the Bill, which it claims is an “altered” version of the one by the previous UPA government, should be sent to a Standing Committee.
Government sources said that after the eventful first week of the second part of the ongoing Budget session, financial business will remain the main agenda for both Houses during the second week. The Parliament will not sit on Friday on account of Labour Day.
Besides this, reports of the Standing Committees of nine ministries, including Urban Development, Agriculture and Energy, are expected to be submitted to the Parliament this week. The reports pertain to Demands for Grants for 2015-16 in respect of the ministries of Agriculture, Defence, Energy, Environment and Forests and Climate Change, Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Industry, Science and Technology, Water Resources and Urban Development will be submitted in both Houses on Monday.
Lok Sabha is also scheduled to take up the Demands for Grants of the ministries of Human Resource Development, which has already been partially discussed, Home Affairs, Environment and Forests, Climate Change and Health and Family Welfare.
The Lower House is to conclude the financial business with the passage of the Finance Bill during the second week.
Rajya Sabha will also review the working of the ministries of External Affairs, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Law and Justice, Social Justice and Empowerment and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and also consider and return the Railways Appropriation Bill as passed by Lok Sabha during the first week of the Budget session.
The Business Advisory Committee of Rajya Sabha has assigned time for discussing three Bills, including the key Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013, which has been pending before the Upper House with official amendments, the Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015, and The Payment and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014, both of which has been passed by Lok Sabha. All three Bills have been listed in the business of the House on Monday.
During the first week of the second part of the Budget session, Lok Sabha had passed the Railways Appropriation Bill, the only one to have been cleared by either House.
The Lower House has completed discussions on the Demands for Grants of the ministries of Chemicals and Fertilisers and Drinking Water and Sanitation.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had made a statement on the crisis in Yemen and the government’s efforts towards evacuating Indians from that country.
The government has already moved the GST Bill in Lok Sabha for consideration and passage during the first week.
Rajya Sabha, whose 235th Session began on April 23, also made history when it passed a Private Member’s Bill on the rights of transgender persons, moved by DMK MP Tiruchi Shiva. A Private Member’s Bill was last passed in Parliament 45 years ago.
As per the procedure, Shiva will now have to authorise a Lok Sabha MP to move the Bill in the Lower House, where DMK at present has no members.
In case he does so, the Bill will come up before Lok Sabha during the Private Members’ Bills day on May 8, the last day of the Budget Session there. The session will conclude on May 13 for Rajya Sabha.
