With the second part of the Budget session set to commence on April 25, the government's focus will be on the GST bill, along with the Bankruptcy bill, and amendments to the Factories Act.
The National Democratic Alliance government hopes to press the accelerator on reforms and pass the landmark Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill for a national Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a separate bill for Bankruptcyand Insolvency Code , 2015, in the second half of the Budget session, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
The GST Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha but is stuck in the Upper House, where the ruling NDA does not have a majority and is dependent on the support of the Congress for its passage. The Constitution amendment Bill needs two-third majority or 162 votes in the 242-member Rajya Sabha. The Congress, the original author of the GST reform, has refused to support the Constitution amendment Bill in its present form.
After it clears the Rajya Sabha, the legislation will have to be ratified by at least half of the 29 States.
Other bills in the agenda:
The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016
The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh, on March 15, 2016. It was passed by the House on March 16, 2016. The Bill seeks to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.
The Electricity Amendment Bill, 2014
The Bill amends the Electricity Act, 2003. It seeks to segregate the distribution network business and the electricity supply business, and introduce multiple supply licensees in the market.
Regional Centre for Bio-technology Bill, 2016
The Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan, on March 15, 2016.
The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2014
The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 7, 2014. It proposes to amend the Factories Act, 1948.
