Keen to pass mines & coal bills, govt ready to extend session
QUICK FIX Centre wants to get other bills passed after logjam over land bill
NEW DELHI: The NDA government is eyeing to pass the coal bill and the mines and minerals bill, almost giving up its hopes for the passage of the land acquisition bill in the face of the Opposition’s stiff resistance.
The cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs left it to parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu to seek an extension of the ongoing session, if required, by one or two days, to pass the two bills. On Wednesday, the two select committees examining the two bills submitted their reports.
“We will take a call on extension of session on Thursday evening, assessing the status of the bills,” Naidu told reporters. The ongoing half of the Budget session is scheduled to end on March 20 for a monthlong break.
Government managers admitted that it does not have the numbers to pass the land bill. A united Opposition, led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, marched to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday to protest against the land ordinance.
The government, however, is confident about the numbers for mines and the coal bill as the BJP secured backing from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party. “We have decided to support the mines bill because the government accepted three changes which we wanted,” Trinamool lawmaker Derek O’Brian told reporters.
The select committee has recommended two amendments in the mines bill while the coal bill has been approved by the other panel.
The mines ministry proposed two amendments to the mines bill, prompting changes by the select committee. The two changes relate to higher royalty contribution to a proposed district mineral foundation and protection of rights of Scheduled Castes and tribals.
The future course of government action on the land bill was not discussed in the meeting. A section in the government, however, wants to prorogue the House after the first leg of the session gets over and re-promulgate the ordinance.
“If the ordinance is not made into law, national interest would be affected,” said a minister.