Parliamentary panel to discuss 12th Plan document

This was decided at the first meeting of the reconstituted Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance here today. The panel is headed by the senior BJP leader and former Finance Minister Yaswant Sinha.

"This was the first meeting of the panel after its constitution. We had general discussion. We would discuss the 12th Plan document in the next meeting," said a Committee member.

The 12th Plan document has been approved by the Union Cabinet and will now be placed before the National Development Council (NDC) for final approval.

The committee, according to the members, would endeavour to meet every Friday to clear the backlog of work including the bills which were referred to it for scrutiny by the Speaker.

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who was made a member of the reconstituted panel recently, attended the meeting. Earlier, he was a member of the Parliamentary panel on HRD.

The panel had already submitted its report on the Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2011, The Companies Bill, 2011, The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Bill, 2011, Current Economic Situation and Policy Options (in 2012).

It has also submitted its views on the Regulation of Factor (Assignment of Receivables) Bill, 2011, The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011, The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008 , The National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010 and The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011.

The reconstituted panel will also deliberate on the Good and Service Tax matter and submit its report on it.