After disruptions in both Houses, particularly the Rajya Sabha, over the last three weeks, The government and opposition arrived at an agreement yesterday at an all-party meeting called by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari to pass those bills on which there is a general consensus, skipping the contentious GST bill.
In the Upper House, where the Winter Session has been a near washout so far, 18 bills are pending. No new bill could be introduced in Rajya Sabha during the session, while the only one that was passed was the The Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, which deals with cheque bounce cases.
There is a broad political consensus to pass the the SC/ST bill, which is a politically-sensitive issue.
Apart from it there is also a general consensus to pass the Appropriation Bills, the Anti-Hijacking Bill, the Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill, the Commercial Courts Ordinance Bill and the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill.
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Two other bills -- The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill and The Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill have also been listed for Monday.
The major bills like The Whistle Blowers Bill, The Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill and the The Anti-Hijacking Bill have been listed for Tuesday.
The opposition is insisting on sending the Whistle Blowers
Bill to a Select Committee.
Rajya Sabha is also likely to take up discussion on the issue prices of essential commodities and foodgrains in the country and "growing intolerance endangering the unity and diversity of the country". Ever since the Winter Session got underway on November 26, proceedings in the Upper House were disrupted over a variety of issues, with Congress accusing the Modi government of "political vendetta" in the wake of the National Herald case. The Arunachal Pradesh imbroglio and Union Minister V K Singh's 'dog' remarks also triggered uproar in the House.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will move the National Waterways Bill, which seeks to make provisions for existing national waterways and to provide for the declaration of certain inland waterways as national waterways and also to provide for regulation and development of waterways.
On Tuesday, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya will move The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill that seeks to amend the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965.
Lok Sabha has allotted three hours and two hours each to discuss and pass The National Waterways (Amendment) Bill and The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill respectively.