Land bill likely to go to joint committee

With no consenus in sight and the government facing a number crunch in the Rajya Sabha, the contentious land bill may be referred to a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament and the GST bill to a select committee of the Upper House Sabha.
Government is likely to inform Parliament in this regard after firming up the decision on the two issues at a meeting of BJP Parliamentary Party tomorrow morning, party sources said.
It is likely to bring a motion in Lok Sabha for setting up of an over-30 member joint committee to examine the land bill. The motion could then be taken to Rajya Sabha to approve names in the committee from the Upper House.

Almost the entire Opposition is against the land bill that proposes changes in the earlier law of 2013 in this regard.
The select committee on GST could have either 15 or 21 members. While AIADMK is the only party to have declared its opposition to the economic reform measure, Congress is insisting that it should be sent to a Select Committee for examining the changes that were brought into it by the NDA dispensation.
The main Opposition party, which treats the original GST bill as its "own baby", is learnt to have assured Government that it will support the bill for passage in the next session and it could then be brought even as early as on the last day of the first week of the Monsoon session.

A senior government functionary speaking on the condition of anonymity said that the government is keen that GST is approved as early as possible with the widest-possible consensus.
Being a Constitutional amendment bill, it is required to be passed by both Houses of Parliament by a two-third majority. The Bill will then need ratification of more than half of 29 states before scheduled roll out in April next year. GST was first mooted 12 years ago but couldn't be approved as states feared curbs on their fiscal powers.