Key Bills on plate, but fate uncertain

Time and political constraints might make a dent in the prospects of clearing the wishlist

In its renewed bid to push through economic reform legislation, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is bringing a clutch of Bills to be considered and passed in Parliament’s winter session, which begins on Thursday. However, given the time and political constraints, there is little certainty over passage of these Bills.

The session is scheduled to be of only 12 days, but efforts are underway to build a consensus among parties to extend it. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said he would be in touch with MPs from the Northeast and the southern states and see if they could be made agreeable to returning to work after the Christmas break and the New Year holidays.

Among the important Bills the government hopes to discuss and pass during this session are the Direct Taxes Code Bill, 2010; the Insurance Laws Amendment Bill, 2008; the Public Debt Management Agency of India Bill, 2013; the Coal Mines (Conservation & Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2012; and the Coal Regulatory Authority Bill, 2013.

The Direct Taxes Code Bill, which seeks to replace the archaic Income-Tax Act governing collection of direct taxes, is already in the Lok Sabha but yet to be discussed and passed. The Insurance Laws Amendment Bill, which will allow foreign investors to hold up to 49 per cent capital in India’s insurance sector and allow nationalised general insurance companies to raise funds from the capital markets, has yet to get the green light from the main Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Bill is currently pending in the Rajya Sabha.  The  Coal Mines (Conservation and Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2012, is in the Lok Sabha and will allow the Central government to conserve coal and develop mines by levying excise and Customs duties.

A coal regulator will get statutory authority via the Coal Regulatory Authority Bill 2013. This legislation comes at a time when the government is contemplating major reforms in the coal sector including give a bigger role the private sector players in mining and production of coal. The draft Bill for setting up a Coal Regulatory Authority was approved by the Cabinet in June this year.

All of the 2013 Bills are to only be introduced; there are chances these will be referred to the standing committee. So, the likelihood of their passage in this session is low.

The winter session of Parliament is possibly the last one during the current UPA term when legislative business will be done. The next one, the Budget session, will only see a discussion on a joint address to the two Houses by the President of India, customary in the first session of the year. The passage of the Vote on Account, till the next government assumes office following general elections in 2014, will be the other priority for the government.

Several ordinances have to be passed by the two Houses as Bills. These include the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes in Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Bill, 2013; the Securities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2013; and the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2013.