Budget session-II resumes Monday, important bills listed for

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SME Times News Bureau | 22 Apr, 2013
The budget session of Parliament resumes Monday with important bills listed for budget session-II along with the support of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party would be crucial for the Congress-led UPA during the remainder of budget session of parliament as the government's failure to get the finance bill passed will imply its lose of majority and result in early elections, say analysts and political observers.

Keeping that in mind, the government is keen to get key bills passed during its budget session after a brief recess. The bills relate to food security, land take-over, anti-graft Lokpal besides those related to reforms in the pension and insurance sectors. Their passage will showcase to voters that the government performed despite the opposition.

But the first hurdle will be the finance bill.

A large number of amendments moved by the opposition against the finance bill are sure to give a tough time to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's floor managers, informed sources told agency.

Though most political parties do not want early elections to the Lok Sabha, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was flexing his muscles in the past, is seen as perfectly capable of pulling the rug from under the government's feet without notice.

Sensing the Congress is vulnerable as it lost two allies - the Trinamool Congress with its 19 members and the DMK with 18 members - in the past six months, party chief Sonia Gandhi reviewed the parliament strategy with senior ministers Friday.

Even if the SP with 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha decides to ditch the government, the BSP with 21 members, the Left parties with 24 and the Janata Dal-United with 20 members could bail out the government, aver Congress party sources.

This week the centre allocated Rs.12,000 crore to Bihar ruled by JD-U leader Nitish Kumar, whose long alliance with the BJP is seemingly on the rocks. With the JD-U dead opposed to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a possible prime ministerial candidate of the NDA, there is a lot of speculation over the future of the BJP-JD-U alliance.

Even if the SP decides to withdraw support after the budget session, the government will not necessarily fall, say some analysts. The budget session is to conclude May 10.

Important bills listed for budget session-II:

* The National Food Security Bill gives the right to food to around 67 percent of India's 1.2 billion population. It provides five kg grain per person per month - rice @ Rs.3 per kg, wheat @ Rs.2 per kg and coarse grains @ Re.1 per kg. The bill will add Rs.20,000 crore to the current Rs.1 lakh crore food subsidy.

* The land acquisition bill seeks to address problems of industry regarding acquisition of land for setting up projects, and provides for rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced people. It proposes to replace the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

* The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill that lays down enforceable standards of conduct for judges. It also requires judges to declare details of their and their family members' assets and liabilities. It also creates mechanisms to allow anyone to complain against a judges on grounds of misbehaviour or incapacity.

*The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011 seeks to give statutory powers to the interim authority set up in 2003. It also alters the name of the New Pension System to National Pension System (NPS).

* The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011 aims to give right to every individual citizen to time bound delivery of goods and provision for services and redressal of grievances.

* The Lokpal bill that seeks to set up an anti-graft ombudsman at the centre and in the states

* The Securities and Exchange of Board of India (Amendment) Bill, 2013

* The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Bill, 2013