Parliament places Bills on the back burner

NEW DELHI, May 21: The politics of survival have taken precedence over Parliament's law-making responsibility. The United Front Government ...

NEW DELHI, May 21: The politics of survival have taken precedence over Parliament’s law-making responsibility. The United Front Government had promised a string of path-breaking legislative measures: the Women’s Reservation Bill, the Lok Pal Bill, the Electoral Reforms Bill, the Broadcasting Bill and many more. But not a single one has entered the statute book.

The situation at the end of the recently concluded Budget Session was no different from what it was when the Winter Session ended. Once again, the Bills on Lok Pal, women’s reservation and broadcasting were given A’ rating but with the Government failing to create a consensus on them even within the ruling coalition, the proposed legislations remain where they are.

If the Deve Gowda Government proceeded with undue caution on the Lok Pal Bill, his successor Gujral dispensation appears to be having second thoughts on enacting the Bill in its present form.

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Even after the Bill was given a thorough relook by the standing committee headed by Janata Dal member Sompal, Prime Minister Gujral is reportedly feeling the need for further fine-tuning. Gujral is of the opinion that the Bill in its present form would not be able to prevent frivolous complaints against persons holding high office. The original draft Bill provided for a penalty against those making frivolous complaints but the standing committee felt that this provision was too harsh.

The same is the case with the Constitution Amendment Bill for providing 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and legislatures. It is difficult to visualise easy passage for the Bill given the controversy it has generated.

The Janata Dal has split vertically on the issue while some other constituents of the United Front have also expressed strong reservations against it. Gujral was left with little option but to call for a wider debate, much to the consternation of the Left parties.

In keeping with the trend of most major Bills being referred to either the standing committee of the ministry concerned or a joint select committee of both Houses of Parliament, the Broadcasting Bill too has been referred to a joint committee.

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The Bill, which seeks to provide for the establishment of an independent authority for facilitating and regulating broadcasting services in the country will, if everything goes smoothly, be ready when Parliament meets for the monsoon session. If these Bills were the commitments of the United Front Government, there have been several others introduced or proposed by predecessor governments which are lying in cold storage.

The Bill on electoral reforms is one of them. Actively taken up by the late Dinesh Goswami, the law minister in V P Singh’s Government, the Bill is still being debated by political parties and the Election Commission. Only the Bill to amend the Representation of the People Act was introduced last year but there has been no progress after that.

The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, has been pending in the Rajya Sabha since 1987 seeks to give more powers to the Council with regard to the establishment of medical colleges and ban on capitation fees. A joint committee had submitted its report on the Bill.