Business Standard

Govt achieves breakthrough in Parliament logjam

Opposition agrees to pass the Finance Bill tomorrow, sources say BJP might not allow House to function barring passage of crucial fiancial measures

Press Trust of India New Delhi
The government today achieved a breakthrough in the logjam in Parliament with the opposition agreeing to allow financial business to be taken up tomorrow.

The stalemate ended after a meeting of floor leaders of various parties convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

"All financial business will be taken up in Parliament tomorrow," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters after the meeting.

He dismissed suggestions that Parliament would be adjourned sine die after passage of financial business.

"There is no talk of adjourning Parliament sine die (before May 10)," he said.

Along with the Finance Bill, other pending issues include the Railway Budget and Demand for Grants of ministries.
 
"It is unfortunate that in the last five days Parliament did not run. I am optimistic and hopeful that the House will function," Nath had said before the Speaker's meeting.

Both Houses of Parliament have faced repeated adjournments over the issue of coal scam and JPC draft report.

BJP is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on the issue of CBI's report to the Supreme Court on coal block scam.

15 JPC members of opposition parties have expressed "no confidence" in Chairman P C Chacko and have sought his removal by the Speaker on the 2G draft report, which gave a clean chit to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.

Talking to reporters after the meeting with political parties, Nath termed as "unfortunate" the repeated adjournment of Parliament.

He said, "Political parties and all of us have to remember that Parliament is not of the Government, Parliament is not of the Congress party, Parliament is of all MPs and of all political parties."

"All that can be said outside, all demands which can be made outside can be made on the floor of the House. That is the basis and genesis of the Parliamentary democracy," he said.

Asked about the fate of Food Security bill and Land Acquisition Bill, he said the two key legislations are "for the people of the country and anybody who blocks it is not doing a service" to them.

At the meeting, Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sudip Bandopadhayay demanded that the Prime Minister should come to the House and explain why the government was "discriminating" against West Bengal.

While neighbouring Bihar has been given a special package, Bengal has been ignored consistently, he said.

"We support the package for Bihar and endorse it. We have been demanding a financial package for Bengal repeatedly for the past two years, but to no avail. So, we will continue to raise this issue vociferously," Bandopadhyay said.

Sources later said that most of the Opposition leaders at the meeting were not in a mood to allow the government to take up crucial measures like the Land Acquisition and Food Security Bills.

They said the leaders agreed to pass the Finance Bill tomorrow, the last date, as otherwise there would be a Constitutional crisis.

The sources said the BJP was adamant on its demand for resignation of the Prime Minister and the Law Minister and might not let the House to function, barring the passage of crucial financial measures.


Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Apr 29 2013 | 3:10 PM IST

Explore News