NCP and Samajwadi Party help govt end RS impasse

Govt might push real estate regulator Bill this session

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is likely to introduce the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill during the current session of Parliament.

Buoyed by the end of the week-long stalemate in the Rajya Sabha over minister Niranjan Jyoti’s controversial speech, the government decided to push its legislative agenda with more vigour.

The Bill will be piloted by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. It will provide a mechanism to regulate transactions between buyers and promoters of residential real estate projects and establish state level real estate regulatory authorities. The government believes enactment of the Bill is important if it has to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise of providing housing to all by 2022.

The logjam in the Rajya Sabha ended around noon when the Opposition agreed to a statement by the Chairman of House, Hamid Ansari, disapproving the remarks by Jyoti against the Opposition. The Opposition had earlier insisted the House pass a resolution to censure the minister.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Naidu and his deputy, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, reached out to Opposition leaders over the weekend, which helped resolve the standoff.

The day started in the Rajya Sabha in the manner that it had over the past week. It was adjourned within minutes of Congress leader Anand Sharma, supported by other Opposition leaders, moving the resolution that said the House “strongly” disapproved “any statement by any member of Parliament, member of Cabinet or council of ministers that is inflammatory, derogatory and violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution and the law of the land”.

However, the treasury benches were not willing to let the House pass such a resolution, particularly after the prime minister had apologised, as had Jyoti and senior ministers. Ansari held back-channel talks with the leaders, including Jaitley and Naidu, along with leaders of the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist).

According to government sources, many within the Opposition had realised there was little public approval for continuing to disrupt House proceedings.

Then, according to sources, Nationalist Congress Party and Samajwadi Party leaders said the Opposition had made its point and the House should now be allowed to run. It was decided the way out would be for Ansari to make a “statement”.

The House assembled at noon, with Ansari issuing a statement that the Rajya Sabha acknowledged the plea of the prime minister on Thursday and “appeals to all MPs, ministers and leaders of all political parties to maintain civility at all costs in public discourse for the successful functioning of parliamentary democracy and to uphold our commitment to constitutional values”.

The government is hopeful of smooth passage of key legislation, including the insurance and coal block allocation Bills, and introduction of the real estate and GST (Goods and Services Tax) Bills. The Lok Sabha functioned normally and passed a Bill that would facilitate repeal of redundant laws.