36 bills to be given priority

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB 12. The Government today identified 36 bills which are to be given priority during the coming Budget session, besides, of course, the Union Budget and the related Finance Bill and the Railway Budget. The Railway Budget will be presented on February 26 and the Union Budget two days later on February 28.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Pramod Mahajan, today called a meeting of senior Government officials attached to various Ministries to discuss the priorities in their Ministries for legislation to help him identify urgent Government business in the session scheduled to begin on February 19.

Among the priority bills is the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Bill of 1999, the Indian Council of World Affairs Bill which will seek to put the final seal on the takeover of Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) by the Government, and two bills related to the insurance sector which will take further the reform process in this sector by helping to create a level- playing field for the private sector. The two per cent surcharge on income tax for Gujarat earthquake relief will also figure as a bill.

The Central Vigilance Commission Bill of 1999 and the Lok Pal Bill have also been listed among the priorities. They are also on the priority list, but considering the heavy agenda related to the passing of the Railway and Union Budgets the Government will have to strain every nerve to get all these bills passed.

A number of bills related to women's rights - the Commission of Sati Prevention Act (Amendment) Bill and the Domestic Violence Against Women (Prevention) Bill - have been listed as ``likely to be included in Government business'' but they are not on the priority list. There is also a bill to amend the existing Indecent Representation of Women Prohibition Act, but that too is on the non-priority list.

Other important legislation which ``may be included in Government business'' for the Budget session are the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill, the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) and the Freedom of Information Bill. This is the category of bills referred to standing committees of Parliament, and naturally, the Government would have to await the report of these committees.

The Constitution (Eighty Fifth) Amendment relating to reservation for women in Parliament and the State legislatures finds a mention among the `priority' bills. But at the end of the last session, the Government had more or less indicated its mind that it may prefer a consensus on the Election Commission formula involving an amendment in the Representation of the People Act making it mandatory for political parties to select a certain percentage of women candidates for seats contested by them.

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