Coal and Mines bills: Opposition gets panels, govt hope

The government Wednesday agreed to refer two contentious bills to a select committee of Parliament for consultation, in exchange of withdrawal of motions by Opposition to defeat the bills.

As part of the understanding reached with the government, the Opposition parties in Rajya Sabha also allowed passage of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, that seeks to legalise the operation of e-rickshaws.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 and the Coal Mines Special Provisions Bill, 2015 were referred to two separate select committees with the instruction that these be returned to the House within seven days, not later than March 18. This would give the government two days to get the bill debated and passed in Rajya Sabha before the Parliament goes into recess on March 20. If the select committee makes changes in the bills, it would have to be passed again by Lok Sabha.

The ordinances these two bills are supposed to replace will lapse in early April. The second half of the current session of Parliament is set to begin only on April 20. Both these bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.

A resolution against the vehicles bill was withdrawn, paving the way for its passage. “We had a problem only with the ordinance route taken. We otherwise do not have any objections to the changes,” T Subbarami Reddy of the Congress said while withdrawing his resolution on the bill.

Source:: Indian Express