Monsoon session of Parliament from today
BJP
has announced plans to raise on the very first day the issue of Assam
clashes which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as a blot on
the nation.The
Assam issue could generate a lot of heat as Congress and the Opposition
are expected to indulge in charges and counter charges.
The
Opposition parties have also given notice that they would raise the
alleged spectrum and coal block allocation scams as also the
controversial Aircel-Maxis deal and the handling of the Railway
portfolio by Trinanmool Congress, especially in the context of the Tamil
Nadu Express accident recently.
Pune
blasts as also the collapse of the power grid in the North and the east
are among the issues that are likely to be raised to pillory the
government.
With
the monsoon playing truant in several parts of the country, the focus
would also turn to the drought situation amid demands for a national
water policy and a better deal for farmers.
The
session will be a test for new Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who
has been made the Leader of the Lok Sabha following the exit of Pranab
Mukherjee, who was the chief troubleshooter of the government for eight
years.
Issues
like rise in prices of diesel and petrol, floods, centre-state
relations, forward contracts, as also the detection of a tunnel along
the Indo-Pak border are expected to be raised by the opposition.
Leader
of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has already said that a
debate on the state of the economy would be pressed by the opposition
at a time when there is an economic crisis in the country, fall in
ratings and devaluation of the rupee vis-a-vis the dollar.She has said
the opposition also wants a clarification on the government's intentions
on FDI in retail.Government
will have to tread cautiously on the issue with key UPA constituent
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress making it clear that it was opposed
to the move. The Left and the Right have already made a common cause on
the issue.
The
Trinamool Congress has also expressed its opposition to any legislation
on forward marketing in commodities and privatisation of pension fund.
The
Left parties have taken up the issue of the Food Security bill in a big
way. They are also expected to take up the killing of tribals in
Chhattisgarh and the violence at the Maruti plant in Manesar.
Parliamentary
Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal expressed hope that like the last
session, this session too would be a good and productive one as regards
transaction of government business.
Ahead
of the session, UPA will project a united picture with the first
meeting of the Coordination Committee of the ruling alliance scheduled
tomorrow.
As
many as 31 bills have been listed for consideration in the session,
which will conclude on September 7. The bills include those on Forward
Contracts, Banking laws, whistle-blowers and women's reservation as also
the Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials bill.
While
the much-talked about Lokpal bill has not been listed for
consideration, the managers have been maintaining that it would be
brought up expeditiously once the report from the Select Committee of
the Rajya Sabha is submitted.
The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, debated in the Rajya Sabha and later referred to the Select Committee.
The Select Committee is expected to give its report on the first day of the last week of the monsoon session.
In
May, the controversial Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill was referred to the
select committee of Rajya Sabha, further delaying the setting up of the
anti-graft ombudsman which has been hanging fire for 42 years.
The
bill, on which the debate had remained inconclusive in the Rajya Sabha
during the winter session, was referred to the select committee through a
motion soon after Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy moved
it for consideration and passage.
Comments
Post a Comment