The government today said it may reconvene Parliament's Monsoon Session to get key legislations, including the pending GST bill, passed, saying it has an "open mind" on amendments to reform measures even as it began consultations with leaders of opposition parties.
With the government having failed to pass its legislative business in the Monsoon Session which was a near washout, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venakiah Naidu met Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and appealed to all political parties to cooperate in smooth functioning of Parliament in the "larger national interest".
Naidu, who maintained that he has already consulted leaders of a number of parties on the issue, also expressed willingness to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi, if required to ensure a smooth running of Parliament.
"After discussions, the government shall, if required call the second part of Monsoon Session to pass key legislations. I appeal to all political parties to keep in mind the national interest. Parliament should function. There is no substitute to healthy debate in democracy.
"The bills like GST, real estate regulation bill and land bill are very important. The delay in passage of the GST bill will hamper the aspirations of people of India and in particular the dreams of the youth, who are thirsty for jobs," Naidu said at a press conference here.
Though the dates are yet to be finalised, the Monsoon Session is expected to be reconvened some time in September, sources said.
Keen to ensure the passage of the GST bill, the government had kept open the option of reconvening the session with the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs deciding not to recommend immediate prorogation of the Houses after they were adjourned sine die on July 13.
Appealing to the opposition parties to help and cooperate in passage of these bills, Naidu said the government is ready to discuss all issues and is committed to continuously reaching out to all parties to keep national interests above political interests.
Naidu's fervent appeal to parties to help the government pass the GST bill came in the backdrop of the rupee registering a sharp fall and the benchmark sensex witnessing the biggest single day decline yesterday.
Asking parties to think in national interest, he said, "This is even more important in the backdrop of the current financial situation across the globe.
