Appealing to Opposition parties “to keep national interests above everything else,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, called for smooth passage of the crucial Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on Monday.
“GST is of national importance. The issue is not which government gets credit. Important Bills, including GST, will be taken up in the Monsoon session and I hope for meaningful discussions and outcomes,” he said at an all-party meeting called by the government here on Sunday.
The focus of the meeting, convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, was on how to ensure a a productive Monsoon session.
Kumar told reporters after the meeting that 16 Bills have been listed for consideration in both the Houses, including the GST Bill.
The other key Bills that may come up during the session include the Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, which amends four laws on debt recovery; the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill, which will permit trustees to invest trust money in securities and bonds; the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, which defines public interest in disclosures on corruption; and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, which will ban employment of children below 14 years in any occupation and of adolescents between 14-18 years in hazardous occupations.
Extension if needed Altogether, the Monsoon Session will have 20 sittings. Making it clear that the session is important, Modi is learnt to have told the meeting that the Centre will extend the session if needed.
“We have proposed a list of 16 Bills. I hope it will be a successful and fruitful session. We are trying to evolve a consensus on the GST Bill. We have requested cooperation of all parties to run the House and they have agreed,” Kumar told reporters after the meeting.
Opposition stand However, it will not be easy for the government to get a consensus as the Opposition wants to raise issues such as the Jammu and Kashmir crisis, the Supreme Court order on Arunachal Pradesh, price rise, unemployment and growing communal tension.
“The issues with the GST Bill were not discussed in this meeting. The government is yet to come back to us on the three issues we had raised on the Bill,” Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said. He accused the Centre of interfering with the affairs of State governments and said such issues will be taken up in Parliament.
The Left parties said they would raise the “aggressive pursuit” of neo-liberal policies by the Centre and their impact on the common people. “Inflation is high. Unemployment has increased. Agrarian distress has deepened. Opening up of various sectors to foreign direct investment (FDI) and increasing FDI limits will have an adverse impact on the economy,” said CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
The CPI (M) has given notice for a separate discussion on the growing level of bad loans (NPAs). “It is a scam worth ₹8.6 lakh crore. The Centre has not taken any action against the big corporate houses responsible for such a huge loss to public sector banks,” Yechury said.
The Janata Dal (United) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have also given notices to discuss the crisis in Arunachal Pradesh. The BJD has given notices for a discussion on the Polavaram irrigation project, which Odisha opposes. The party also wants a discussion held on the ‘scam’ of R-Block refineries not being allotted to ONGC.