The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday gave a two-week extension to the Select Committee on amending the Insurance Act to raise FDI cap, but not before the Opposition tried to block the move by citing “procedural flaw” on the ground that members of the committee were not consulted for extending the tenure of the panel.
The committee, headed by BJP MP Chandan Mitra, now has time till December 12 to submit its report. Mitra sought extension because he could not hold the committee meeting after two of its members joined the Council of Ministers.
On Tuesday, BJP MPs Rangasayee Ramakrishna and BP Singh Badnor were drafted to fill the vacancies. The House approved a related motion by voice vote.
When Mitra moved the resolution seeking extension of the deadline to December 12 in the Rajya Sabha, CPI(M) member
P Rajeev said the committee members were not aware of the move and the Chairman could seek more time for submission of the report only after the issue was discussed in the committee.
“I am a member of the committee and I am not aware of this,” Rajeev said as other members of the panel, including Derek O’Brien (TMC) and JD Seelam (Congress), raised the same objection.
Mitra counter-attacked by citing another rule that said the Chairman of a panel can recommend extension of a committee’s tenure to Parliament without holding a meeting when it was not feasible or necessary to call such a meeting of the panel.
This silenced the Opposition for a while, but later they contended that this rule was applicable only in case of lok Sabha proceedings.
Opposition members insisted that the resolution be withdrawn and Mitra convene a meeting of the panel before coming to the House. Mitra did not agree with it.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said since Parliament was in session and MPs were available, the Select Committee Chairman can call a meeting of the committee and after seeking its authorisation come to the House with a resolution seeking an extension of tenure.
Amidst the pandemonium, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said since the motion has been moved either the House should extend the tenure of the committee or dissolve it.
“If the House desires that the panel should not be given an extension, the Government is willing to bring the Insurance Bill tomorrow (Wednesday, November 26),” he said
Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said Rajeev has raised a procedural issue, but the House is supreme and can decide it. Kurien said Mitra has not refuted Rajeev’s contention that the issue of extension was not discussed in the committee meeting.
“Thus, the options left before the House were either Mitra withdraws the resolution or the House decides on the issue,” he said.
The motion was adopted by a voice vote. Earlier, Jaitley informed the House that two members of the Select Committee, JP Nadda and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, were inducted in the Council of Ministers and now two new members, Badnor and Ramakrishna, were nominated to the committee.
Following the grant of extension, Mitra told reporters outside Parliament that he would be able to submit the report within the time frame or even before the said date. later, he tweeted: "Despite obstructions by new allies - left and TMC - my motion to extend Insurance Select Committee's tenure till Dec 12 was passed by RS."