Drafting error means RS has to pass boundary bill again

NEW DELHI: Five days after the Upper House passed the bill to implement the historic Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh on Wednesday, the Upper House will again have to pass the bill on Monday.

The reason: embarrassing drafting mistake by officials in not incorporating amendments in the bill passed by the Rajya Sabha while formally sending it to the Lower House for the latter’s consideration and passage.

“It will take barely five minutes as all parties have already expressed their support for the bill. But it is an embarrassing situation,” said a government official.

During the passage of the bill in Rajya Sabha, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj moved amendments to rename the UPA regime’s “Constitution (One Hundred and Nineteenth Amendment) Act, 2013” to “Constitution (One Hundredth Amendment) Act, 2015”.

But officials of Rajya Sabha secretariat and the Union law ministry, who were handling the bill, did not incorporate all the amendments when they officially sent it to Lok Sabha last Thursday for passage. Swaraj again had to move some amendments to rectify the mistakes in the LS.

Now, as the Lok Sabha has further changed the bill passed by the Upper House, it has go back for fresh sanction from the RS.

Senior ministers have reportedly warned law ministry officials against making such mistakes in the future