Friday, Mar 29th 2024
Trending News

With key bills pending, Parliament's Budget session likely to be extended

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 18, Mar 2015, 12:40 pm IST | UPDATED: 18, Mar 2015, 12:40 pm IST

With key bills pending, Parliament's Budget session likely to be extended New Delhi: With the government running short of time to pass some key bills, a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Wednesday has reportedly decided to extend the first half of the Budget session by two more days. There has been no decision on proroguing the House yet.

Sources said that government is mulling extending the Budget session till March 24 - which otherwise comes to a close this Friday - to facilitate the passage of bills replacing ordinances on land acquisition, mines and minerals and coal.

All the three bills have been passed by the Lok Sabha and two of them - one on mines and minerals and the other on coal - were referred to the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha. If the government accepts the recommendations of the select committees and makes changes in the two bills, they will have to be sent to Lok Sabha again for passage before they are brought before the Rajya Sabha.
 
 
What is the Modi government's strategy?

The Modi government is hopeful that it will also be able to arrive at some sort of consensus on the land bill even as opposition protests on it has grown only louder. These things will require time because only three days remain for the first half of the Budget session to end as per the schedule, Friday being the day for private members.

The Congress, which allowed the passage of the Insurance Bill in the Rajya Sabha last week, has told it categorically that it will not extend the same courtesy to the land bill and has asked for a parliamentary committee to review the proposals. Referring the land bill to a Rajya Sabha select committee will mean that the ordinance will lapse.

The government believes that if the session is extended for a few more days, it could have the bills passed in both the houses. The ordinances passed by the government have to be converted into bills before April 5 or they will lapse. According to the earlier schedule, the second half of the Budget session begins on April 20 after a month-long recess and continues till May 8.

The options before the government

There is another view that the government should prorogue the Budget session on March 20 doing away with the recess and convene a fresh session in April or May to complete the unfinished task after repromulgating the ordinances on land, coal and mines and mineral. Under Article 85(2) of the Constitution, the President is vested with the power to prorogue (end a session) both Houses of Parliament.

While an ordinance has a life of six months, it has to be approved by Parliament within six weeks of the commencement of the session which follows its promulgation. An ordinance cannot be re-promulgated while Parliament is in session.