Govt lists GST in RS; BSP, Cong to agitate against V K Singh

Keen to push the legislative agenda, government has listed key bills like GST in Parliament next week but it is unlikely to be an easy affair at least in Rajya Sabha as BSP and Congress intend to continue their agitation against minister V K Singh for his 'dog' remark.
BSP and Congress, which disrupted the Upper House for the last two days, have vowed to persist with their demand for Singh's ouster from the Council of Ministers as well as Parliament for his 'dog' analogy after two Dalit children were burnt alive in Haryana few months back.
Congress' Rajya Sabha member today said his party's stand on the issue remains the same and it will protest in the House even on Monday if Singh comes there.

"If V K Singh comes to the House, we will protest against it. Our demand is take action against Singh for his remarks," Tiwari said.
Tiwari was in the forefront among Congress leaders, who protested in Rajya Sabha against Singh's remarks and trooped into the well along with BSP members.
On its party, government has listed GST along with six other bills in Rajya Sabha for next week. Six bills have been listed in the Lok Sabha.

The government's main focus will be on the passage of the key GST Bill, officially known as The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014. The Centre plans to roll out the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from April next year.

The bill has been passed by Lok Sabha but got stuck in Rajya Sabha. After its passage in Lok Sabha, the bill was sent to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on Opposition's demand. The panel has given its report.
Other important bills include the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, which was discussed in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
"The first among them would be the Rs 5181-crore Kochi
Metro Rail Project, the first phase of which will be over by June 2016," Sathasivam said.
He also mentioned various other development projects including the proposed Light Metro Rail at Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, for which the government had signed an agreement with DMRC, Kannur International Airport and Kochi Smart City.

He said the state government's Kerala Technology Start-Up Policy in 2015, the first such policy in the country, had boosted a tremendous momentum in creating a conducive atmosphere for start-ups to succeed.
"So far, 405 start-ups have been incubated in the Start-Up Village in Kochi. This has become such a great role model that the entire country is following this success story," he noted.
On the Vizhinjam International Deep-Sea transhipment port project, considered as one of the flagship development projects of the UDF government, he said work has already begun on the Rs 7525-crore project and it would "re-establish India's strategic supremacy in Indian Ocean."

The House witnessed a minor flutter when a man sitting in the visitors gallery raised some slogans demanding representation of Dalits in the Ministry. The man, identified as one Satish of nearby Poonthura, was immediately whisked off by the watch and ward staff.
The incident happened after the Governor had completed his address and left the House.
As part of their plans to intensify their agitation against the government over the various scams, the Opposition had decided to take their protest inside the Assembly and had even requested the Governor to abstain from making his address.
Earlier, as soon as the Governor began his customary address at the start of the session, Achuthanandan stood up and said the government was 'neck deep' in corruption and investigation against them was going on and wanted the Governor to intervene.

The Opposition began shouting slogans holding the banner "Don't want tainted Ministry's policy."
The 14-day sitting is politically significant as this is the last session of the 13th Kerala Assembly before the state goes to the polls in two months time.