M A I N   N E W S

Quota Bill, Walmart keep Parliament paralysed; Oppn presses for JPC probe
K V Prasad/TNS

New Delhi, December 11
Under attack from its supporters and the Opposition on providing reservation for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes in promotion and on retail major Walmart spending huge money on lobbying to gain access to Indian markets, the UPA government woes continued for the second day in Parliament on Tuesday.

The SP and the BSP, which together bailed out the Government on the FDI in retail vote last week, went back to respective trenches with the former maintaining steadfast opposition in the Rajya Sabha to the Constitution Amendment Bill that the BSP insists be passed without further delay.

Compounding the ruling coalition concern, the SP and the BSP also joined Opposition in the Lok Sabha on the Walmart issue. Members demanded a thorough probe - judicial or by a joint parliamentary panel - to get to the bottom of the report that the multi-brand American company spend Rs 125 crore for lobbying. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told the Lok Sabha that the government views the issue with concern and has no hesitation in having an inquiry. Further steps, he said, would be announced.

Repeated adjournments resulted in the Rajya Sabha losing out a day without any work. Anguished over the disruption of the Question Hour, Chairman Hamid Ansari suggested that it either be scrapped or shifted, a proposal the Rules Committee will discuss on Wednesday.

WalMart issue Compounding the ruling coalition woes, the SP and the BSP joined the Opposition in the Lok Sabha on the Walmart issue. Members demanded a thorough probe - judicial or by a joint parliamentary panel - to get to the bottom of the report that the multi-brand American company spent Rs 125 crore on lobbying.

SP, BSP stand  on quota The SP and the BSP adopted tough stand with the former steadfastly opposing the Constitution Amendment Bill on quota in the Rajya Sabha. The BSP, however, insisted that the Bill be passed without further delay.

Having committed to the passage of the reservation in jobs Bill, the Government is groping for a solution from among three alternatives, sources managing Congress Parliamentary affairs said. These include suspending the agitating members who are trooping into the well of the House and restore order, amending the Bill to bring in efficiency clause or refer the proposed legislation to a parliamentary panel.

SP members in the Rajya Sabha in the forefront of the agitation were cautioned by Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien that the Chair could take strict action against them. However, to suspend the members the Government would have to bring a motion that has the adopted by the House.

After the controversy on Women's Reservation Bill, Chairman Hamid Ansari is said to be averse to a move in which protesting members were physically evicted from the House by Marshals for the Rajya Sabha to pass the landmark legislation two years ago.

A proposal to refer the Bill to a parliamentary panel is being opposed by the BSP.

Edit: Stalemate on quota Bill