Controversial gold control bill adopted

New Delhi: A series of walk- outs and divisions marked the passage of the controversial Gold Control Bill, which was opposed by almost the entire opposition in the Lok Sabha today.

Before the Bill was finally adopted, the Union Finance Minister assured the House that every care would be taken to prevent undue harassment to dealers and goldsmiths.

He, however, maintained that if hoarding and smuggling of gold was to be stopped then any change in the Bill will have to be in the direction of making it stricter, in course of time.

Mr. Desai turned down a demand made by the Jana Sangh member, Mr. K. L. Gupta that a committee should be appointed to evaluate the working of the Gold Control Order. Mr. Desai said that it was too early to make such an assessment.

While the entire leftist opposition staged a walkout when the Deputy Speaker applied the guillotine at the stage of clause by clause consideration, the Jana Sangh and DMK members walked out when the Bill was being finally adopted.

Mr. Desai dismissed as “a hindrance to the administration of gold control” a suggestion by Mr. Kanwar Lal Gupta ( JS) that a committee should examine public complaints of harassment by officials.

He reacted sharply to the charge of “rigidity” levelled against him by some Opposition members and said that he was being called rigid because he had not subscribed to their point of view. This logic, Mr. Desai said could also be applied to the members who did not subscribe to his point of view.