Financial business to top Parliament agenda this week

The AgustaWestland issue will still be around, with the Rajya Sabha slated to take up a short discussion on Wednesday

With fireworks over the AgustaWestland issue dominating the opening week of the second half of Parliament’s budget session, the government is keen to get financial business cleared in this second (and final) week.

It stated that the “main agenda” for both houses would be passing of the Appropriation and Finance bills. The opposition, including the Congress party, are on board on passage of these.

However, the VVIP chopper issue will still be around, with the Rajya Sabha slated to take up a short discussion on Wednesday. Congress sources say, “We too want a thorough discussion and want a reply from the government.”

The Lok Sabha is also likely to take up the issue but through a calling attention motion.

A Congress senior said, “Despite the (ruling) BJP provoking us and accusing the Congress president on the Westland issue, we cannot be seen to be obstructing the business of Parliament. That perception would go against us and the BJP would go all-out in proclaiming that the Congress was not allowing Parliament to function to save Sonia Gandhi.” The party recalls its earlier experience with the National Herald case in this regard.

Their present strategy is to cooperate with the government as long as the latter’s benches do not rake up any ‘controversial’ issues. When they do, as with Gandhi baiter Subramanian Swamy this past week, the Congress has gone all-out in opposing.

On Monday, the Rajya Sabha, apart from discussing the health ministry’s working, will also be taking up the mines & minerals law amendment, already cleared by the Lok Sabha. Also on the agenda is the railways’ appropriation Bill.

The government has stated that the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill will be the only other new legislation to be taken up in the Lok Sabha. Along with the mines Bill, the upper house is scheduled to pass the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill.

Despite all the heat and the trading of charges, in this past week, a total of seven Bills were passed, three by the Lok Sabha and four by the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha cleared the Sikh Gurudwaras (Amendment) Bill, the Regional Centre for Bio-technology Bill and the Appropriation (Railways) No 2 Bill. The Rajya Sabha passed the Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill and The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill.