Three crucial bills taken up in extended Lok Sabha session

The extension of Lok Sabha session by three working days has enabled the government to complete some of its crucial agenda including a bill against black money stashed abroad and another to amend the whistleblowers protection act.

The contentious land bill, which was introduced in the house on Monday, however has been referred to joint committee after an eager debate in which both the opposition and treasury benches sought to outscore each other.

The second half of budget session of Lok Sabha was extended from May 8 to May 13.

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets Bill, popularly known as the black money bill, which provides for heavy penalties and stringent punishment for stashing black money away in foreign accounts.

The bill is likely to come up in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and its passage will help the government counter opposition charges that it has not lived up to its promise on bringing back black money.

The government on Tuesday also introduced the a bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the whistleblowers protection act to keep issues of national security out of its purview. It is slated to be taken up for passage on Wednesday.

The land bill was on Tuesday referred to a joint committee of parliament.

"The budget session has been very productive. The two houses have passed 21 bills," an official said.