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The fate of the long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill appears uncertain, with it not finding a mention in the list of Bills to be taken up in the winter session of Parliament. Though the government is keen on introducing it in the session, sources said the Bill is still not ready to be tabled.
The government, meanwhile, has called an all-party meeting on Sunday to discuss the legislative agenda for the month-long session. While the government is keen to make headway in its reforms agenda taking all political parties on board, opposition parties such as the Congress and NCP will also meet separately ahead of the all-party meeting to formulate their stands.
Among the bills likely to be introduced include the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, the Bio-Medical and Research (Regulation) Bill, the School of Planning and Architecture Bill. Other crucial Bills include the report of the Select Committee looking into the Insurance Bill, which is slated to be tabled by the end of this month (end of the first week of the session). Other Bills pending include the Drugs and Cosmetics Amendment Bill and Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill.
Responding to what the Congress' strategy will be in the Parliament, Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader in the Lok Sabha, speaking to Business Standard said, "The Congress will be meeting on Sunday morning to take a call on the merits of each Bill."
Of late, the animosity between the ruling party and the Opposition has only escalated, but Kharge denies that it would impact Congress' stand as a responsible Opposition.
Government sources said this being the first official meeting between the ruling party and the Opposition, the government would also discuss the dispute over language in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services examination, as had been committed by the government in the last session.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has also called the customary meeting with leaders of political parties on Saturday ahead of the session.
WINTER WORK IN THE HOUSE
The month-long winter session of Parliament will begin on Monday. Here's a look at some Bills pending before Parliament, and the legislative business the House is likely to take up
- The session starts on November 24 and ends on December 23, with 22 sittings
- Currently, 67 Bills are pending before Parliament. Of these, nine were introduced in the previous session of Parliament, 40 were introduced in the 15th Lok Sabha. Eighteen other Bills are pending from earlier Lok Sabhas
- The government promulgated two ordinances in the past few months: The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance, 2014, and the Textile Undertakings (Nationalisation) Laws (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 2014. Bills to replace these ordinances will have to be brought in this session to ensure they do not lapse
- Of the pending Bills, 11 are related to ministry of health and family welfare. Nine are related to ministry of labour and employment, and these include the Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2014, and the Apprentices (Amendment) Bill, 2014, both of which were introduced in the last session. The Apprentices Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha. Older Bills such as the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Bill, 2012, and the Building and Other Construction Workers Related Laws Bill, 2013, are pending
- The Insurance (Laws) Amendment Bill, 2008, which allows foreign investors to hold up to 49 per cent of the capital in an Indian insurance company, is being considered by a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha. The report is due in the winter session after which the Bill can be moved for consideration and passing
- Two Bills have been cleared by the Cabinet in the past three months. These are the Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2014, and School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014. There are a number of draft Bills on which ministries concerned have held pre-legislative consultations. These include the Small Factories (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Bill, 2014, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2014, amendments to the Citizenship Act,1955, and the Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2014
- The Rajya Sabha has decided to shift its Question Hour from 11 am to noon, and has extended its sitting time by an hour. This change can be seen in light of the performance of the Question Hour in the 2014 Budget session, where the Question Hour functioned for 87 per cent of its scheduled time in the Lok Sabha, but only for 40 per cent of its scheduled time in the Rajya Sabha. The Upper House had tried to address this problem in 2011, when the Question Hour was shifted to be held from 2 pm to 3 pm, but this was discontinued within a few days
Source: PRS Research
