Miss Alone
Prime VIP
Government will make a fresh bid to pass crucial bills on GST and real estate in the last week of the Winter session amid signs of some thaw with Congress on the key economic reform measure.
The legislative and financial business proposed next week includes a discussion on the issue of price rise in both Houses with emphasis in Rajya Sabha on rising price of essential commodities, including foodgrains in the country.
A discussion is also likely on the issue of “growing intolerance endangering the unity and diversity of the country”.
While six bills each have been passed and introduced in Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha has passed only one bill.
10 Bills passed by Lok Sabha are still to be taken up in Rajya Sabha. In the Lok Sabha, government has proposed to take up nine items of legislative and financial business during next week, a statement by parliamentary affairs ministry said.
Of these, time has been allotted for seven items. A heavy agenda of 16 items is due to be taken up in Rajya Sabha which lagged behind Lok Sabha in transaction of business this week due to disruptions and forced adjournments.
Four hours have been allotted for the passage of the GST bill, three hours for real estate bill and two hours for anti-graft measure, the whistleblower bill.
Prospects of a forward movement on GST appeared in sight on Friday with the government giving some proposals to the Congress and expecting a response by Monday when Parliament meets again with just few working days left for the Winter Session to conclude.
A meeting of Congress leaders is being held on Sunday in which the party top brass will take a call on the proposals, which could pave the way for the passage of the GST bill.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who travelled to Pakistan on December 8, is also expected to make a statement on Indo-Pak ties in Parliament on Monday.
“Swaraj will make a statement on her recent visit to Islamabad and developments relating to ties between India and Pakistan in both the Houses of Parliament during the next week of Winter session of Parliament.
“This is one of the major agenda items for next week,” a release by the ministry of parliamentary affairs said.
The government has put the GST bill and real estate bill on top of its legislative agenda in next eight days of Winter Session.
Since the commencement of this Winter session on December 26, Lok Sabha has passed six bills while six new bills were introduced. In Rajya Sabha, only one bill could be passed while no new bills were introduced, the government said.
The bills to be taken up in Lok Sabha include---The Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill, the Sugar Cess (Amendment) Bill, the National Waterways (Amendment) Bill, the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Bill, the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill and the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, in Lok Sabha.
The bills expected to be taken up in Rajya Sabha from Monday include the the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Second Amendment) Bill, 2014 (on GST), the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill 2013, which was amended and then approved by Cabinet this year, the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill.
Other bills to be taken up in Rajya Sabha are the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015 the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, the Anti Hijacking Bill, the Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, the High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2015.
The Upper House is also expected to take up Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, the Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, 2015, the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill, the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill, the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
