Budget Session: Will fend off criticism on inflation: Govt

Speaker unlikely to yield to Cong demand on LoP status

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s debut Budget session of Parliament could turn out to be difficult because, owing to the escalating prices of essential commodities. However, the government is confident of muting any criticism on the issue, particularly from the Congress, once the ‘Economic Survey’ is released on July 9.

The Budget session begins on Monday and is scheduled to continue until August 14.

The understanding within the government is the Survey will go a long way in exposing the poor state of economy the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has left behind.

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

• Budget session from July 7 to August 14
• Session slated to have 28 sittings and 168 working hours
• Railway Budget to be presented on July 8
• Economic Survey to be tabled on July 9
• General Budget slated to be presented on July 10
• A bill to replace Trai (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014
• Passage of Polavaram project Ordinance
• Commerce ministry to move bill on National Institute of Design

People in the know say Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s first Budget will further narrow any space for the Opposition to mount a strident critique of the Budget by reaching out to the middle classes. This, the government plans to do by focusing on the manufacturing sector, to encourage job creation, and taking steps to revive savings to fund social sector schemes.

At an all-party meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan convened on Saturday, the Opposition demanded a discussion on price rise in both Houses of Parliament. The government has committed itself to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj making a statement in both Houses on the condition of Indian workers in civil war-torn Iraq.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the government was ready to discuss the general Budget and the Railway Budget, after these were presented, as well as any issue of national importance, including Iraq.

Leaders of Opposition parties have sought the issues of price rise, rail fare rise and the plight of Tamil fishermen be discussed during the session. The Congress has indicated it will perform the role of a ‘responsible’ Opposition by raising these issues. It might also raise the issue of allegations of rape against fertiliser minister Nihalchand Meghwal and, along with the Samajwadi Party and Left parties, the law and order situation in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.

It is felt the possible denial of ‘Leader of Opposition’ status in Lok Sabha to the Congress might set off a few fireworks. However, at Saturday’s meeting, the Speaker avoided questions on this issue.

The understanding within the government, however, is the NDA is unwilling to yield to the Congress on the ‘Leader-of-Opposition issue. On Saturday, a senior minister said the Congress was yet to make a formal request to the Speaker on this issue, adding people hadn’t granted the party Congress the numbers required to get that status.

A senior minister recalled how the Congress had denied the Telugu Desam Party, a partner in the current government at the Centre, the same status in 1984. He added the rules were framed in 1977 and would be followed.

The government will keenly watch whether the Congress succeeds in roping in non-NDA parties for this, though it believes such a scenario is unlikely.

Mahajan said the session would have 28 sittings and 168 working hours. “Since the standing committees for various ministries are yet to be constituted, the demands for grants for various ministries will be passed by both Houses by July 31, after discussion in Parliament, instead of the committees,” she said.

Ensuring passage of the two Budgets will be the government’s priority. Other legislative agenda include a Bill to replace the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, or Trai, (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, and the Ordinance on the Polavaram project, under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014.

While the Trai (Amendment) Ordinance, cleared on May 28, helped the government appoint Nripendra Misra as principal secretary to the prime minister, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, was promulgated on May 29, ahead of the official division of the state on June 2.

Naidu said the commerce ministry would introduce a Bill on the National Institute of Design. Various pending Bills would be reviewed, and the government’s priority would be bringing these before Parliament, in coordination with Opposition members, he added.

The Speaker said the government was willing to give time to discuss all issues, adding the time to be devoted to each would be decided after a meeting of the business advisory committee. She added this session, Lok Sabha proceedings would have a new feature---the picture of members speaking would be shown on a screen. This will enable those sitting on the front benches to see those speaking from rear ones.

Though the NDA has little worries in the Lok Sabha, where it has a substantial majority, the case of the Rajya Sabha might be different, given the government is woefully short of the halfway mark in that House.