Oppn questions LS taking up bills pending in RS

Govt might be forced to either resort to joint session to get contentious bills passed or re-promulgate some of the ordinances

A united Opposition took on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday when the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was introduced, suggesting such Bills would face tough resistance in the Rajya Sabha where the government is in a minority.

Under such circumstances, the government will have little option but to either opt for a joint session of Parliament - in which case, it would have a majority thanks to its numbers in the Lok Sabha - to get these contentious Bills passed.

However, the NDA is hopeful of getting the Congress’ support in the Rajya Sabha for at least the insurance Bill.

On Tuesday, the Opposition questioned the Constitutional validity of the government’s introducing the insurance Bill, which provides for raising the foreign equity in the insurance sector from 26 to 49 per cent as the Bill was already pending in the Rajya Sabha.

Jayant Sinha, minister of state for finance, introduced the Bill after a division of votes demanded by the Left parties and the Trinamool Congress. Members of the two parties argued that an ‘identical’ Bill was pending in the Rajya Sabha.

On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2014.

The House also passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, which allows plying of e-rickshaws in Delhi.

The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill was also introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

These, and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that was passed on Monday, were among the ordinances the government has promulgated in recent months. The contentious Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, is to be introduced on Wednesday.

Last week, the Opposition had scuttled the government’s move to withdraw three Bills from the Rajya Sabha - the insurance Bill, the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu quoted from the rules of procedure of the Lok Sabha to claim that a Bill could indeed be brought in the House with the speaker’s permission, even if it was pending in the other House.

LOK SABHA DIARY

• The govt introduced the insurance Bill, which provides for raising the foreign equity in the insurance sector from 26 to 49%
   
• The Lok Sabha passed the mines and minerals Bill after the Opposition walked out
   
• The House also passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, which allows for plying of e-rickshaws in Delhi
   
• It also introduced the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill