Budget Session in Parliament to discuss more Bills

The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was passed in the upper house today. Some members of the opposition benches voiced their protests to take up this discussion as they pointed out that another Bill regarding Insurance Laws was already pending in the House. To this, the Deputy Chairman clarified that only one bill, i.e. the 2015 bill which has been passed by the Lok Sabha previously is listed in the business of the day and as per constitutional procedures the Bill must be discussed. The bill among other things raises the cap of foreign investments in Indian insurance companies to 49%.

In Rajya Sabha members also discussed the plight of rubber farmers due to its falling prices.

The legislative agenda at the beginning of the Session included six ordinances that had to be replaced by Bills. These Bills required that they be passed within six weeks of the reassembly of Parliament such that the ordinances do not expire. Currently three of these Bills replacing the Ordinances have been passed by both the Houses, while all six have been passed by Lok Sabha.

Two Bills i.e. the Coal Mines Special Provisions Bill and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, were referred to Select Committees in Rajya Sabha yesterday. The Committees have been given time till March 18 to submit their reports. Given Parliament breaks for recess on March 20, these two Bills must be passed in the Upper House such that the Ordinances do not lapse.

The Land Acquisition Bill, also replacing an Ordinance remains to be taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha.

The legislative agenda of the government listed a number of Bills for introduction during this Session. These are:

1. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2015

2. The Warehousing Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2015

3. The Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, 2015

4. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2015

5. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2015

6. The Indian Institute of Management Bill, 2015

7. The National Academic Depository Bill, 2015

8. The National Cooperative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2015

9. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2015

10. The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Of these, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill and the Warehousing Corporation Bill have been introduced till now.