Key Bills get LS nod, face RS test
Reflecting the position of strength enjoyed by the Modi government in the Lok Sabha, the bills replacing the two ordinances on coal mines, and the other approving the Insurance Amendment ordinance, were passed after brief debates. Now these bills face the Rajya Sabha hurdle where the ruling party is in a minority.
The coal mines bill piloted by the union minister for coal and power Piyush Goyal is to lend legal sanctity to the eauction of coal blocks. The Supreme Court had cancelled the allocation of 204 coal blocks and in order to end the crisis in the coal sector the government had issued two ordinances on October 2 last year and the other in December. Replying to a debate on the Bill, Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said its passage would ensure "transparent and honest" process of auctioning of coal blocks. He maintained that all power plants had adequate coal reserves and the e-auction has ensured open bidding. He also asserted that adequate safeguards have been put in place to ensure the end-use restrictions and stop hoarding.
Insurance bill
The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, which provides for raising the foreign investment cap from 26 per cent to 49 per cent, was also passed by the Lok Sabha after a short debate. Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, who piloted the Bill which has been pending since
2008, said the measure was crucial for the country as "our insurance penetration is low" This is one of the political controversial bills that was opposed strongly by the Bharatiya Janata party during its days in opposition and is now facing hurdles from the Congress that had championed its cause. However, the Congress is not opposed to the key provisions as such and Party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “We are opposed to the methodology, style and manner in which it has been brought bypassing Parliament. The government has changed the recommendations of the Select Committee which scrutinised the insurance bill and also used the ordinance route. "The Bharatiya Janata Party as a strategy would like the Rajya Sabha to reject the Bill, so that a joint session of the two houses could be called for passing it. "If Insurance Bill is defeated in Rajya Sabha... it will open an opportunity for a Joint Session of Parliament," Sinha told reporters after the legislation was passed by Lok Sabha. But striking a conciliatory note, union parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu observed:"Bills have been passed, not because we have numbers; they [the opposition] have also supported us. If you see the voting regarding these amendments, overwhelmingly over 95 percent of the members of Parliament are supporting these bills, which include the opposition also. That being the case I hope they will do the same thing in the Rajya Sabha also”. He informed that the land acquisition act would come to Parliament on Monday and the government is holding discussions individually with different party leaders and senior ministers to seek the necessary feedback. “The government is willing to take the constructive meaningful suggestions of the opposition and then incorporate them," he added.