Jaitley hopes for Parliament nod to Insurance Bill by Dec

The insurance Bill was sent to a parliamentary panel at the behest of the opposition

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley expressed hope on Tuesday that parliament would give its approval to the amendments to the Insurance Act, permitting 49% foreign investment, by end December.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to push through insurance reforms were blocked last month by the opposition in parliament and the government had to agree to send the bill for consideration by a parliamentary panel.