Monsoon Session of Parliament expected to generate heat

New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) The 23-day Monsoon Session of Parliament, beginning tomorrow, is expected to be stormy with the NDA seeking to corner the UPA government on the 123 Indo-US nuclear agreement, Goa developments, agrarian crisis and floods in several parts of the country.

Coinciding with the opening day of the session will be the 13th Vice-Presidential poll, an all-Muslim affair, which UPA-Left nominee Mohammad Hamid Ansari is expected to win hands down.

The Left parties, which prop up the UPA government, have already made their opposition to the 123 agreement in unequivocal terms.

The NDA has sought a JPC to scrutinise the agreement.

The issue is likely to generate intense heat during the session.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to make a statement on the issue on August 13 to allay apprehensions of the members.

The NDA might demand a discussion on the flood situation on the very first day in addition to Goa developments.

The NDA adopted a resolution denouncing the "highly unethical and patently partisan way in which attempts were made to save the minority Congress Government in Goa headed by Chief Minister Digamber Kamat" on July 30.

Any detailed discussion on the 123 pact could be held only after August 20 as External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee would return from abroad only on August 17.

The controversial Broadcasting Bill and the Women's Reservation Bill are not likely to come up even during the session.

However, many important bills like the State Bank of India (Amendment) Bill, 2007 which would replace an ordinance would be introduced, considered and passed. Similarly, The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provision) Bill, 2007 would also be passed to replace another ordinance. The Supplementary general budget and the Railway Budget would also be passed by Parliament.

The bill pertaining to reservation in private unaided educational institutions would be introduced during the session. The Private Detective Agencies (Regulation) Bill, 2007 and the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2007 and the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Bill, 2007 would also be among the 25 new bills to be introduced during the session.

Twenty-five bills, which had already been introduced in Parliament, would come up for consideration and passage.

UNI