NDA plans to bring legislation in LS to pave way for joint session of Parliament
With the numbers tilting against the BJP-led NDA in the Upper House, the government has made plans to withdraw the bill to raise the FDI cap in the insurance sector from Rajya Sabha and bring it first in Lok Sabha.
The BJP-led NDA has a comfortable majority in the Lower House. If the government is able to get the approval of one House, it would pave the way for a joint session of Parliament. The government had taken the ordinance route after it failed to get the bill passed in Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session.
The list of business for the Rajya Sabha for Tuesday incorporates that finance minister Arun Jaitley will "move for leave to withdraw the Bill further to amend the Insurance Act, 1938, the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999." The government also plans to move motions for withdrawal of bills on coal mine allocation and motor vehicles to amend it. Both bills were passed by Lok Sabha and were pending in Rajya Sabha. Earlier, Jaitley is to lay on the table in the House, a statement explaining the circumstances which had "necessitated" immediate legislation by promulgation of the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Ordinance.
However, withdrawal of the legislation would also require consent of the House, in which the BJP has a strength of 45 against the Congress's 69 in the 245-member House. Going by the combative mood in the Congress, which is reluctant to play ball with the government on the bill, it may create hurdles in withdrawal of the legislation from Rajya Sabha.
In a Joint Session, in which the total strength of Parliament will be 790, the government will require 396 to get a bill passed.
The bill, which has been hanging fire since 2008, was referred to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha which presented its report in December. With the land acquisition opposition facing stiff resistance, forcing the top BJP leaders to brainstorm over it, the government is trying to get bills replacing the ordinances passed.
Copies of six Ordinances, including insurance, were on Monday laid in Lok Sabha amidst protests by some members against using the Ordinance route.
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