Monsoon session marked by passage of several economic reform Bills

The session saw an unprecedented cooperation between the govt and the Congress party

The monsoon session of Parliament that ended on Friday turned out to be one of the most productive of the 16th Lok Sabha, in terms of economic reform  Bills taken for discussion and passed.

The session not only saw unprecedented cooperation between the government and the Congress party, but also witnessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi entrusting senior ministers, particularly Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to take the lead in dealing with important discussions and legislation. The opposition, however, complained of Modi’s absence  when it discussed the turmoil in Kashmir as also the recent incidents of atrocities on dalits.

The highlight of the session was the discussion in both Houses on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Constitution amendment Bill and its passage. Among the reform-oriented Bills passed are the Taxation Laws (Amendment), Benami Transactions (Prohibition) amendment, Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debt Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment), Factories Amendment Bills. The two Houses also passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill and amendments to the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act. (RAINING BILLS THIS MONSOON SESSION)

If the Prime Minister sent senior minister Nitin Gadkari to oversee the election of a successor to Anandiben Patel in Gujarat, he let the finance minister get deserved credit for the passage of the GST Bill. The government, like seldom before since May 2014, also accommodated demands by the Congress and other parties not only on the GST but also for discussions on such issues as atrocities on dalits and the situation in Kashmir.

From the government’s side, the home minister faced Opposition criticism on the twin issues and spoke inside Parliament, while the PM opted to speak on both Kashmir and violence perpetrated on dalits by ‘gau rakshaks’ or cow protectors at public events outside Parliament.

In terms of productivity, the monsoon session – the ninth session of the 16th Lok Sabha – was the third most productive session after the eighth and the second sessions. “By common consent, the quality of debates was of a high order,” said Rajya Sabha chairman M Hamid Ansari. The Rajya Sabha also had 59 new or re-elected members, while one member, Navjot Singh Sidhu, quit.

The disruptions were largely on account of the Congress and some Andhra Pradesh-based parties demanding a special package for Andhra Pradesh and early implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

The Rajya Sabha also took up a discussion on the developments Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, leading to change in governments and the role of governors.