Financial business tops govt agenda in Parliament next week

Financial business will dominate the government's agenda in Parliament from Monday while seven bills have already been passed in the first week despite the row over imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand and alleged pay-offs in AgustaWestland Case.
The coming week will witness discussions on demands for grants. Only 10 days of the session remain, which comes to an end on May 13, while working of eight Ministries is still to be discussed.
"Discussion on Demands for Grants and working of identified ministries besides consideration and passing of the Appropriation and Finance Bill in respect of the General Budget for 2016-17 constitute the main agenda for the second week of the second Budget session of Parliament beginning Monday," an official statement said.

In the Lok Sabha, discussion on Demand for Grants of the Ministry of Social Justice will resume before the same is voted upon.
The Lower House is still to do the same in respect of the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation before Demands for Grants of other ministries are guillotined.
Thereafter, the Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2016 and The Finance Bill,2016 will be taken up for consideration and passing.

Rajya Sabha will discuss the working of Ministries of
Health and Family Welfare, Human Resource Development, Finance, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and External Affairs besides considering and returning of the Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2016.

Other legislative business likely to be taken up in the Upper House includes the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill,2016 as passed by Lok Sabha and the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill,2015, as passed by Lok Sabha .
During the first week of this session last week, a total of seven bills were passed including three by Lok Sabha and four by Rajya Sabha.
The Bills passed by Lok Sabha were the Sikh Gurudwaras (Amendment) Bill 2016, the Regional Centre for Bio-technology Bill,2016 and the Appropriation (Railways) Bill,2016.
The Lower House also discussed and voted upon the Demands for Grants of the Ministries of Development of North- Eastern Region and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Rajya Sabha passed the Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, 2015, The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill,2015, The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill,2016 and The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill,2015.
The Upper House also held a Short Duration Discussion on the situation arising out of drought and heat wave conditions and resultant water crisis and the remedial measures taken by the government besides taking up a Calling Attention Motion on the imposition of Central Excise Duty on gold jewellry.
Angry over imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, Congress had on the first two days of the session created ruckus in Parliament particularly in Rajya Sabha, accusing the Modi dispensation of toppling democratically elected governments, a charge rejected by the government.

The BJP had on the other hand raked up the VVIP chopper scandal issues in both Houses following Italian court's reported observation that the UPA government showed "substantial disregard" in arriving at the full truth behind the multi-crore scam.