Battling to change the perception of a policy paralysis, the UPA government on Monday made known its intention to take up three key and long-pending financial sector reform Bills related to pension, banking and insurance sectors during the second leg of the Budget Session of Parliament that begins on Tuesday. But, there was still uncertainty about the fate of the contentious Lokpal Bill as it said much would depend on continuing discussions with the Opposition parties.
With the Opposition expected to generate heat on various issues, the government hoped it would cooperate in passing of the key legislations. Ministers, sources said, were in touch with key figures in the Opposition camp to ensure that some of the pending Bills could be pushed through after passage of the financial Bill, slated to be taken up in the second week of May.
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said he had already reached out to Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and sent him a note regarding some of the pending Bills of his ministry. Efforts were also made to pacify Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee who clarified on Monday that her 15-day deadline to the Centre on granting a three-year moratorium was actually an appeal and not an ultimatum as was reported in the media.
Sibal said while issues of public importance could be discussed, important legislations too should be allowed to be taken up and passed. ?The main purpose of Parliament is to make laws,? he added.
Asked about the financial sector reform Bills, his colleague and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had already mentioned about three Bills related to insurance, banking and pension sectors. These Bills, he said, were ?likely to be taken up immediately after the financial Bill is passed?. Sibal pointed out that Jaitley had already said the BJP would back the pension Bill.
Regarding Lokpal Bill, however, Minister of State in the Prime Minister?s Office V Narayanasamy sounded non-committal. ?After discussions with political parties, differences of opinion have been narrowed down to five-six issues…We are engaging with various political leaders and trying to bring a consensus on major issues and bring the Bill before Parliament… Everything depends on discussions with the leaders of various political parties,? he said.
The government appeared confident of ally Trinamool ? which has been playing hardball of late ? supporting key legislations, including the budget and the finance Bill.