A pro-active Opposition, led by a combative Congress, forced the Modi government on Tuesday to send the draft Bills on Land Acquisition and Goods and Services Tax to parliamentary panels, thus ensuring the postponement of the passage of these two key reform bills to a later session of Parliament.
This comes on the heels of a united Opposition last week compelling the ruling dispensation to refer the Real Estate Bill to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha.
While it appeared almost certain that the GST Bill will be cleared in the monsoon session, the Land Bill’s fate continues to hang in the balance: The Congress leaders made it clear that unless the draft that emerges from the joint committee restores the clauses on consent and social impact assessment, it will continue to oppose the Bill. Also, within the NDA, the Shiv Sena, the SAD and the Swabhiman Paksha are opposed to it.
Meanwhile, a question mark hung over whether the government would re-promulgate the Land Ordinance — and whether the President would give his assent for a third time.
On Tuesday, the contentious amendments to the 2013 Land Acquisition Act were referred to a 30-member joint committee of both Houses, headed by LS MP S.S. Ahluwalia (BJP). Passing a resolution to this effect, the Lower House recommended the RS pass a similar resolution.
Twenty-member panelThe committee will have 20 LS members (of whom nine are from the BJP), and 10 from the RS, and will have to submit its report on the first day of the monsoon session.
Simultaneously, a Constitution Amendment Bill providing for the roll out of the long-pending GST was referred to a Select Committee on Tuesday after the Opposition insisted on its legislative scrutiny in the RS where the government is outnumbered.
The 21-member panel has been asked to submit its report by the last day of the first week of the Monsoon session.
