Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed his Government’s intention to reach out to the Opposition on key legislations scheduled to be taken up for approval in Parliament, which resumed its Budget session on Monday.

A total of 13 sittings are planned for the second half of the session, which will end on May 10.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Singh appealed to the Opposition, saying that “This is a very important part of the session of Parliament. Important financial business is before the House. There are also important Bills like the Food Security Bill, the Land Acquisition Bill, which require to be passed. And it is my sincere wish that the House should be allowed to function.”

He said if there were any concerns of the Opposition, “we are willing to debate all those issues”. Singh also requested Opposition members to let the Government function. “We are being put in this position by the people of India to deliver certain goods and we hope that every one co-operates in that process so that the Budget is passed and certain other business is also dealt with effectively,” he said.

Apart from the Finance Bill, key economic reform bills such as the Insurance Bill, Pension Bill, Companies Bill and Forward Contract Regulation Amendment Bill have been listed for consideration and passage during the session.

In fact, in the beginning of the Budget session, the Government listed 16 Bills for introduction, four Bills for introduction, consideration and passage and 35 Bills for consideration and passage, apart from the financial business.

However, in the first half, both the Houses (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) managed to pass just two Bills – the Criminal Law Amendment and the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace – apart from the mandatory budget-related legislations.

> shishir.sinha@thehindu.co.in

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