Budget
advancement for efficient resource utilization; due care will be taken as it
comes ahead of polls, says Finance Minister
Government will
observe restraint in Budget presentation to ensure level playing field in State
Assembly Elections: Finance Minister
Government holds
All Party Meet ahead of Budget Session of Parliament
beginning
tomorrow
Addressing floor leaders of parties in
the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha here today, ahead of Budget
Session of Parliament beginning tomorrow, Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi noted that in order to preserve and enrich the institution
of Democracy in India, it is imperative that both the Houses of the Parliament
run without disruption and constructive discussion takes place on issues of
national importance.
Shri Modi urged leaders of all the
political parties to rise above party lines to cooperate with the Government
and hoped that the experience of the last Winter session is not repeated. The Prime Minister also noted that
knowledge is not limited to the treasury benches and it rather emanates from
all the members of both Houses and hence, the session should be used
constructively and differences be resolved by consensus.
Responding to observations of different
leaders on advancing of the Budget Session 2017 and presenting the Budget
before start of polling in five poll bound States, Finance Minister Shri Arun
Jaitley asserted that this decision was a well thought of step and was discussed
in detail in the Cabinet. Further, he informed that the
decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet over six months back and is
based on sound financial principles that would lead to efficient utilization of
finances under different Centre and State Government schemes. Shri
Jaitley also assured all the parties that the Government will observe
discipline and will abide by Election Commission guidelines regarding level
playing field for all parties in poll bound States.
A host of issues were brought up by the
leaders of parties during the meeting including withdrawal of high value
currency notes, advancing of Budget presentation, increasing the number of
sitting days of the Parliament and holding another meeting of leaders of all
parties before the start of second part of the Budget Session 2017. There was a consensus across party lines on ensuring smooth
functioning of the Parliament without disruptions and deadlocks to be resolved
through constructive discussions in both the Houses.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs,
Shri Ananth Kumar, later briefing media persons said that all parties,
especially the opposition, were in favour of a productive Budget session. He informed that the Government’s legislative agenda for the 31 sittings of the Budget Session
includes 40 Bills consisting of 1 Bill relating to
Supplementary Demands for General Budget.
Items of Government Business Identified
for being taken up in both the Houses of Parliament during this Budget Session,
2017:
I Bills for replacing
Ordinances
1. The Enemy Property (Amendment and
Validation) Bill, 2016, as passed by Lok Sabha and as
reported by Select Committee of Rajya Sabha
2. The
Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill,
2017
3. The
Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Bill, 2017
II Bills
for Introduction, Consideration and Passing
1. The
Finance Bill, 2017
2. The
Indian Institute of Management Bill, 2017
3. The
Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment), Bill, 2017
4. The
Repealing and Amending Bill, 2017
5. The
Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill,
2017
6. The
Securities and Exchange Board of India (Amendment) Bill, 2017
7. The
Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2017
8. The Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill, 2017
9. The Chit
Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2017
10. The
Collection of Statistic (Amendment) Bill,
2017
11. The
Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders
(Amendment) Bill, 2017
12. The
Central Goods & Service Tax Bill, 2016;
13. The
Integrated Goods & Service Tax Bill, 2016;
14. The Goods
& Services Tax (Compensation for loss of revenue) Bill, 2016
15. The
Divorce (Amendment) Bill, 2017
16. The
Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill, 2017
17. The
Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017
18. The High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment
Bill, 2017
19. The Indian
National Defence University Bill, 2017
20. The
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment)
Bill, 2017
21. The Right
of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017
III Bills
for Consideration and Passing
(A) Bills pending in Lok Sabha
1. The
Mental Health Care Bill, 2016, as passed by Rajya Sabha
2. The
Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill,
2016, as passed by Rajya Sabha
3. The
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016
4. The
Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016
5. The National Institute of Technology, Science
Education and Research (Second Amendment) Bill,
2016
6. The Constitution (Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016
7. The
Consumer Protection Bill, 2015
(B) Bills pending in Rajya Sabha
1. The
Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill,
2015, as passed by Lok Sabha
2. The
Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2016, as
passed by Lok Sabha
3. The
Employees Compensation (Amendment) Bill,
2016, as passed by Lok Sabha
4. The
Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill,
2013
5. The
Armed Forces Tribunal (Amendment) Bill,
2012
6. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control)
Bill, 2014
IV Financial
Business
1. Third
Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for
2016-17;
2. Demands
for Grants for 2017-18;
V Bills for Withdrawal (in Lok Sabha)
1. The
Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill,
2016
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AAR/VM