New Delhi: The controversial land bill issue is expected to generate much heat in Lok Sabha on Monday with the government deciding to table the new land ordinance on the very first day of the second half of Budget session.
According to the schedule of business, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy will lay on the table a copy of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, promulgated by the President on April 3 under Article 123(2)(a) of Constitution.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also make a statement regarding the ‘Recent Developments in the Republic of Yemen and efforts made for safe evacuation of Indian nationals from there'.
The Budget session will conclude on May 8. The Rajya Sabha is having a new session from April 23 that will end on May 13.
On the eve of resumption of Budget Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today voiced hope that it would be full of “outcomes”, noting that the productivity of Parliament has “reached 125 per cent” since his government came to power.
With Parliament set to witness a stormy session over a host of issues, including the land bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu asked BJP MPs to be present in their House throughout.
The land acquisition ordinance, which the government could not get converted into a legislation in the first half of the budget session in Parliament due to stiff opposition in Rajya Sabha, was re-promulgated on April 3, a day before it was to lapse.
The fresh ordinance, which is the 11th by the Narendra Modi government, incorporates nine amendments that were part of the bill passed in Lok Sabha last month. It is pending before the Rajya Sabha where the ruling NDA coalition lacks the numbers to get it passed.
The pending measure, titled Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, that was passed in Lok Sabha sought to replace the ordinance that was promulgated in December.
The Opposition was not in a mood to oblige the government and, in fact, mounted a strong campaign against it. Led by Sonia Gandhi, the Opposition parties demanded the passage of the original land bill that was passed during the UPA regime. To enable re-promulgation of the ordinance, the government had in last week of March got the Rajya Sabha prorogued.
However, the passage of the bill to replace the ordinance seems an uphill task for the government even in second half of the budget session and the new session of Rajya Sabha, which starts from April 23, as main Opposition Congress has escalated the fight over it besides other parties including from Janata Parivar.
At the outset, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will tomorrow make obituary references in the House on the passing away of former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew and two former MPs of the Lower House here.
The first part of Budget session that began on February 20, 2015 continued till March 20, 2015 when both the Houses were adjourned to enable the department related standing committees to examine the Demands for Grants of respective ministries.
Subsequently, the 234th Session of Rajya Sabha was prorogued and the new session was summoned on April 23 and will come to an end on May 13 subject to the exigencies of business.
Both the Houses will have 13 sittings each in the second part of the Budget session of Parliament. Financial business including discussion on demands for grants for railways and some select ministries and general budget for 2015-16 and the passing of relevant Appropriation Bills and Finance Bill constitute the main agenda of the government business for the second part of Budget session.
Lok Sabha is likely to discuss the Demands for Grants of Ministries of Home, Health and Family Welfare, Environment and Forests and Climate Change, Chemicals and Fertilisers and Drinking Water & Sanitation.
Rajya Sabha is likely to discuss the working of the Ministries of Law and Justice, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Social Justice and Empowerment and External Affairs. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2015 is slated for introduction in Lok Sabha on April 20, 2015.
The Government is keen that both Houses of Parliament take up for consideration the GST Bill, Disclosure of Foreign Income and Assets Bill and the Real Estate (Development and Regulation) Bill during the second part of the Budget session.
