Venkaiah Naidu pushes ministries to ready new Bills at the earliest

New Delhi, Feb 16: Seeking to ensure that the government has sufficient agenda on its plate for the Budget Session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday pushed the various ministries to be ready at the earliest with the Bills which they propose to introduce in Parliament once it convenes later this month.

"The ministries planning to bring Bills to replace Ordinances have been asked to give notice for the same by tomorrow evening," Naidu said after holding a meeting with various ministers and secretaries.

He had called a meeting today to discuss the government's preparation for the Budget Session, which begins on February 23. During the last parliamentary session, the NDA government was attacked by the opposition, which claimed that it lacked legislative agenda for the session.

Naidu said that six Bills to replace Ordinances are ready and the aim of the government is to push their passage in the first half of the session which runs till March 20. The said six Bills are on land acquisition, e-rickshaws, FDI in insurance sector, mines and minerals, coal and Citizenship Act.

While the Ordinances on land acquisition and e-rickshaws are fresh ones, Bills on the remaining four Ordinances are pending in Parliament. "Ministries wanting to bring Bills in Parliament have also been asked to give notices at the earliest," he said.

During the review, Naidu was informed that over 20 Bills, including those meant for replacement of Ordinances, were ready for introduction, consideration and passage.

PTI