Govt lines up 25 new Bills for coming session

An ambitious UPA government has listed 25 new Bills for introduction and 25 others for passage during the monsoon session beginning August 19. This, however, seems a huge task as the session will continue only for five weeks.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said the Bill on reservation for women in legislatures would not be introduced due to a lack of consensus among political parties. The government also has no plan to introduce the pension Bill, which has evoked criticism from the Left parties.

However, the government is likely to face embarrassment while introducing the Bill on social security for the unorganised sector as the Left parties have threatened to oppose the measure tooth and nail. The main Left parties, the CPI and the CPI(M), have dismissed the Bill's draft and threatened to oppose it at the first stage itself.

Dasmunshi said the government was still considering a proposal for a midnight session on August 14 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Independence. He said although Speaker Somnath Chatterjee had agreed to the sitting, some MPs said there was no precedent for a special celebration of Independence Day in the House. The session will end on September 14 after 22 working days.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi (special provisions) Bill, 2007, and the State Bank of India (Amendment) Bill, 2007, would replace ordinances. The former pertains to regularisation of illegal properties under the Delhi master plan.