Farmers Movement Archive

Amid protests, govt looks to push key bills in House

After the first week of Parliament’s monsoon session was mostly washed out due to disruptions by the Opposition, the ruling dispensation plans to push key bills this week as there are just 14 working days remaining in the session, people aware of the developments said on Sunday.Protests rocked Parliament last week over the alleged targeting of phones with Israeli military-grade spyware, three controversial farm laws, and income tax raids at a newspaper office, forcing repeated adjournments and allowing little business to be conducted in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.“The passage of bills to replace ordinances are high in the priority of our legislative business. We have a total of 25 bills and the ordinances in this monsoon session,” a senior minister said on condition of anonymity.According to notices issues by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed five ordinances to be taken up during this week’s proceedings. They are: The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance and The Essential Defence Services Ordinance.The shelf life for an ordinance is up to six weeks after the first day of the subsequent Parliament session following its promulgation. If the government fails to replace the ordinances with bills in this session, the executive orders for laws will lapse and the government will need to bring fresh ordinances or let the temporary laws expire. The ordinance on air quality management in the national capital region and neighbouring areas expired in a similar fashion earlier this year.Another ordinance on The Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) has not been brought as the Opposition and the government have reached an agreement that it will be sent to a select committee for further review, the people quoted above said.The government also wants to seek approval of the Lok Sabha for the Factoring Regulation Bill and The National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill in this week. These two bills were slotted in the last week but couldn’t be passed due to the din over the Pegasus snooping charges, fuel price hikes and the farm laws.The Upper House of Parliament has listed The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill and The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill.In the five days of the Monsoon Session of Parliament since Monday last week, only a debate on the Covid-19 pandemic in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday can be counted as substantive business so far, underlining the Opposition’s emphasis on protests over discussions on the other issues.The government and the chairmen of both Houses have repeatedly urged protesting MPs to participate in debates.Amid this planned flurry of legislative business, both Houses are also expected to discuss the country’s economic situation, a pet topic of the opposition parties. “It is likely to be discussed on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha,” a senior MP said, asking not to be named.But uncertainty over the legislative agenda continues as the Opposition is determined to carry over their last week’s protests into this week. The Congress is likely to demand a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the Pegasus issue and will only allow a debate on the snooping charges if the Union home minister participates in the debate, a person aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity.Other opposition parties including the Trinamool Congress are also likely to step up their offensive against the government and participate in little business. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is visiting Delhi on Monday and her presence (she is set to come to the party’s parliamentary office) is likely to boost her party’s fight in Parliament.

Hindustan Times

26-07-2021

India