Chidambaram defiant over passage of bills
1 May 2013 7:18 AM IST
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday expressed hope that the Finance Bill for the 2013-14 fiscal will be discussed and debated in the Rajya Sabha, here on Tuesday. With Lok Sabha passing the Finance Bill and Demands for Grants for various ministries, government today said it will continue with its efforts for passage of other bills on food security and land acquisition, which are ‘equally important’.
‘I hope the Finance Bill is debated in the Rajya Sabha and not passed in a similar manner (as in the Lok Sabha),’ Chidambaram said, talking to reporters outside parliament after the Finance Bill was passed in the lower house without discussion.
The Finance Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha without a debate Tuesday after an agreement on this between the government and the opposition.The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been stalling parliament proceedings demanding the resignation of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Chidambaram also said that the financial business was not over as a host of financial bills remain pending passage.
‘The financial business in not over, there is the Pension Bill, the Insurance Bill and many other bills,’ Chidambaram told reporters.‘Those bills should be taken up and debated,’ he said.‘I don’t think it is correct to say that with the passage of Finance Bill, the government’s concerns are over or its interest is over. All other bills in my view are equally important and I think an effort must be made to pass them,’ finance minister P Chidambaram told reporters outside Parliament.
Chidambaram’s remarks come amid clear indications from the party that it was keen that the proposed laws on food security and land acquisition are passed in this session.
To a question on whether he is hopeful that these bills will be passed in the Budget session itself, the finance minister merely said, ‘We are ready to debate and pass the bills.’
He was talking to reporters soon after the Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill and Demands for Grants for various ministries without debate after Opposition walkout.
There is speculation that the houses could be adjourned sine die if the government fails to reach an agreement with opposition, which is disrupting Parliament functioning on coal scam issue and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and law minister Aswhani Kumar.
He also defended the hike in excise on diesel saying it was a way to gather revenue from the rich who drive diesel-driven sports utility vehicles (SUVs).
‘I hope the Finance Bill is debated in the Rajya Sabha and not passed in a similar manner (as in the Lok Sabha),’ Chidambaram said, talking to reporters outside parliament after the Finance Bill was passed in the lower house without discussion.
The Finance Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha without a debate Tuesday after an agreement on this between the government and the opposition.The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been stalling parliament proceedings demanding the resignation of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Chidambaram also said that the financial business was not over as a host of financial bills remain pending passage.
‘The financial business in not over, there is the Pension Bill, the Insurance Bill and many other bills,’ Chidambaram told reporters.‘Those bills should be taken up and debated,’ he said.‘I don’t think it is correct to say that with the passage of Finance Bill, the government’s concerns are over or its interest is over. All other bills in my view are equally important and I think an effort must be made to pass them,’ finance minister P Chidambaram told reporters outside Parliament.
Chidambaram’s remarks come amid clear indications from the party that it was keen that the proposed laws on food security and land acquisition are passed in this session.
To a question on whether he is hopeful that these bills will be passed in the Budget session itself, the finance minister merely said, ‘We are ready to debate and pass the bills.’
He was talking to reporters soon after the Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill and Demands for Grants for various ministries without debate after Opposition walkout.
There is speculation that the houses could be adjourned sine die if the government fails to reach an agreement with opposition, which is disrupting Parliament functioning on coal scam issue and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and law minister Aswhani Kumar.
He also defended the hike in excise on diesel saying it was a way to gather revenue from the rich who drive diesel-driven sports utility vehicles (SUVs).
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