With all political parties extending support, the Government was able to give nod to four important bills in the Rajya Sabha including the much awaited Street Vendors (Protection of livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014.
Deputy Chairman of the House PJ Kurien, who earlier faced problems with some of the members demanding their requests be first discussed on the crucial subjects like Tamil Fishermen, North-East student attacks, reply on Augusta scam before taking up the listed Bills, remarked that “the house reached consensus and this shows that if we want then we can work”.
The Street Vendors (Protection of livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014, which provides for protection of livelihoods rights, social security of street vendors, was passed by Rajya Sabha. The lok Sabha had passed it on September 6 last year. The Bill got support from members belonging to various parties including SP, BJP, BSP and the left.
The other two Bills cleared were The Rani lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University Bill, 2012 and the
National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill 2012.
The NIT Bill was introduced and moved for passage by MoS HRD Shahsi Tharoor earlier evoking protest by the Opposition as they demanded that HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju should have been present or the Government make a statement about his absence from the House.
Raju is a lok Sabha member from Seemandhra region and he has already expressed his disappointment over the way the Centre passed the Telangana Bill in the lok Sabha and attempting to bring in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Amendment, Bill, 2013, seeking to provide secretarial staff and other benefits to former Governors, also got the nod of the Rajya Sabha.