Fireworks are expected between the Government and the Opposition in Parliament this week over issues like the GST Bill and agrarian crisis. The GST Bill (The Constitution 122nd Amendment Bill, 2014) has been listed for discussion in the lok Sabha on Monday. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had moved the Bill in the House on Friday explaining its objectives and the benefits that would flow from it by way of economic integration of the country.
The Opposition Congress has accused the Government of “changing its stand” on the issue and has demanded that the Bill, which it claims has been “altered” from the version brought in by the previous UPA dispensation, should be sent to a Standing Committee.
Apart from the GST Bill and financial business, reports of the Standing Committees of nine Ministries, including Urban Development, Agriculture and Energy, are to be submitted in Parliament during this period.
The Rajya Sabha, however, will resume by taking forward the discussion on agrarian crisis and suicides by farmers in different parts of the country. The issue would come up against the backdrop of the suicide by a farmer at a rally in the national capital that has fuelled a huge political controversy.
The Government sources said that after the eventful first week of the second part of the ongoing Budget session, financial business will continue to be the main agenda of both the Houses during the second week, which has only four working days. There will be no sitting of Parliament on Friday on account of labour Day.
Reports of the Parliamentary Standing Committees pertaining 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.
The 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.
The 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 the lok Sabha during the first week of the Budget Session.
The Business Advisory Committee of the 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 other Bills are the Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015, and The Payment and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014, both as passed by the 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, the lok Sabha has 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.
The Rajya Sabha, which passed a Private Member’s Bill on the rights of transgender persons moved by Tiruchi Shiva of DMK, will now authorise a lok Sabha MP to move the Bill in the lower House, where the DMK at present has no members. In case Shiva does so, the Bill will come up before the lok Sabha during the Private Members’ Bills day on May 8, the last day of the Budget Session there as the previous Friday falls on May 1, or labour Day.