Amid protests by the Opposition, the Government on Tuesday introduced the Insurance Bill and passed amendments to Mines Act in the lok Sabha. However, the passage of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill to legalise the plying of e-rickshaws was a smooth affair.
Members of the left parties and the TMC went on offensive when Minister of State Jayant Sinha introduced the controversial Insurance Bill, providing for raising the FDI cap in Insurance sector from 26 to 49 per cent. The Opposition parties blamed the Government for acting “slyly” by first introducing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha and then in the lok Sabha.
The Insurance laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015, seeks to replace an Ordinance issued by the Government earlier, which had come under sharp attack from various quarters. The Bill seeks to amend the Insurance Act, 1938, the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act 1972 and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999.
left and TMC members contended that the House has no legislative competence to take up this legislation as a similar Bill was pending in the Upper House. A bid to withdraw it from the Upper House last week was scuttled by the Opposition.
CPI(M) leader P Karunakaran as also his party colleague A Sampath also said the Government has “no right or power” to bring the Bill when an identical Bill was pending in the other Hosue. Saugata Roy (TMC) said that in Parliamentary history in India, a Bill has never been introduced in one House while an identical one is pending in the other House.
Countering them, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu insisted that the moment an Ordinance is issued, it is the law and therefore action taken under it is valid for six weeks. He quoted Rule 67 of rules of procedure of the lok Sabha to buttress his point. The rule says that an identical Bill cannot be brought before the House if such a Bill is pending. Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said the Government was well within its right to introduce the Bill, which seeks to replace an Ordinance.
The BJD, the TMC and the left staged a stiff protest on the passage of The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill. While the Government termed the passage of the Bill as “revolutionary”, the Opposition MPs said this would “usurp the powers of the mineral rich States.”
Wrapping up the debate on the legislation, Steel and Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Bill once enacted will increase transparency, end discretion, augment production and benefit the local population. “The sector contributes over two per cent of the GDP but it was in deep crisis. It is one of the biggest employers and its revival will give jobs to our youth,” Tomar said.
The Bill envisages spending of a fixed percentage of revenue generated from mining on the development of local area and abolition of discretionary power enjoyed by Governments, which, Tomar said, abetted corruption.
BJP MPs Bhartruhari Mahtab and Tathagata Satpathy were vociferous in protesting on the 50 year duration in the lease agreements of mines. They said this was not a correct step as the value of the minerals can’t be estimated in future with such a long tenure in the lease agreement.
The lok Sabha also passed the amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act to legalise the plying of e-rickshaws. Replying to the debate on the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said while ensuring that the livelihood of one lakh e-rickshaw drivers is protected, the Government would not compromise on the issue of safety.
He said since all e-rickshaws were being manufactured in India, his Ministry has asked the association of e-rickshaw owners to ensure stringent quality control of parts used to manufacture the vehicles and 17 standards have been set for the purpose.
Participating in the debate, BJP MP Meenakshi lekhi said the Government should have single-window clearance for easy procuring of licences by e-rickshaw drivers. “Also, the Government should have places to charge the e-rickshaws so that power theft can be reduced. Parts of e-rickshaws are imported from outside and assembled in India. Opposition MPs Sushmita Dev, Bhagwant Mann and NK Premachandran blamed the Government for the manner in which it rushed Ordinance on the matter due to the Assembly elections in Delhi.