New Delhi, February 24
A beligerent Opposition is all set to take on the government in the Budget session of Parliament beginning tomorrow.
With the heat and dust of Assembly polls behind them , the Opposition led by the Congress is hoping to pin down the ruling party on several national issues, which it says were raised by the BJP in the electioneering campaign.
It will, however, take some time for the storm to build up as on the opening day of the session, the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, would address a joint session of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The next day would be consumed by the MPs gleaming through a plethora of figures and policy statements that would emanate from the Railway Budget and the Economic Survey. With February 27 being a Parliament holiday on account of Guru Ravi Das day, both the Economic Survey and the Railway Budget are being presented on the same day.
The last day of the month would be dominated by Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha presenting the Union Budget proposals.Though a grim reminder of India’s uneasy relations with Pakistan would be there right at the gates of Parliament, the Opposition parties have indicated that it would be domestic issues rather than international that would dominate the sittings this time.
After the December 13 shootout in the Parliament complex, a new security system has been installed with additional layers of security being thrown in. Machine-gun weilding cops can be seen all around and rules for entry into the complex have been changed. New check-in counters with sophisticated machines have been set up with the security men asserting it would be near impossible to breach security now.It would be an Army related issue that would dominate the proceedings, with the Opposition giving notice about the coffin scam.
The Congress leader in Rajya Sabha, Dr Manmohan Singh, said the issues of national security and the government’s inept handling of it, and the government’s bid to make terrorism and national security an election issue would be raised by the Opposition.
Amidst vociferous demands for the Defence Minister’s resignation, the Opposition, including the Left parties, are bound to raise the issue of Mr George Fernandes trying to influence the Public Accounts Committee on Defence. The Opposition hopes to press for a privilege issue against the minister.
The Vajpayee government would face some embarrassing moments when some of the partners within the National Democratic Alliance, like the Shiv Sena , join hands with the Opposition, especially the Left parties, to criticise the proposed reforms in labour laws.Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray has talked about withdrawing support to the NDA if the controversial labour laws amendment, that makes it easier for hiring and firing workers, is not dumped within a month.
The Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) and the Ayodhya issue would come back to haunt the government. Congress leader Jaipal Reddy has already made it clear that Bharatiya Janata Party leaders would be asked to explain the threat posed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on the construction of the temple. Left leaders have said that the dismal performance of the economy under the current NDA government would also be a major issue in the session.
According to Dr Manmohan Singh, there are several issues on the economic front like the collapse of the economy, fall in industrial production, growing unemployment, and distress among farmers which would be debated in Parliament.
The Budget session would break for recess on March 22 and reassemble on April 15. A total of 76 Bills are pending from the winter session, and four ordinances need to be passed before the March 22 recess.The important Bills pending in Parliament include those on patents, fiscal responsibility, money laundering, banking companies’ acquisition and transfer and the Lok Pal. Besides, the government proposes to introduce Bills on labour law amendments and regulation of the oil sector after price deregulation.
