By IANS
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha Friday passed a bill in a record 10 minutes even as the opposition continued to disrupt the proceedings, demanding that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) be set up to examine the India-US nuclear agreement.
Shipping and Transport Minister T. R. Baalu secured the passage of the Carriage by Road Bill together with amendments of 18 clauses of the initially proposed bill that has long-term implications for truckers and road transporters.
Opposition members had earlier said they wanted a debate on the bill and also wanted to move several amendments. However, with opposition members crowding the chairman’s podium and raising slogans, the bill was passed in next to no time.
In the din, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora also managed to introduce a bill for establishing the Rajiv Gandhi Petroleum Institute at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.
Leaders of the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) met Friday morning before the day’s session commenced and decided to carry on their agitation for a JPC. Consequently, Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari seemed to have fair idea of what was expected.
When members of the NDA and the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) members started raising slogans as soon as the house met at 11 a.m., Ansari adjourned it within minutes.
When the house reassembled at 12 noon, Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan made it clear he was determined to complete the pending government business.
Meanwhile, it is still being debated whether parliament will be adjourned Monday immediately after the Lok Sabha takes up the nuclear debate or it will complete some more business, say on Tuesday, since it is by now clear that the opposition may not withdraw its agitation against the nuclear deal during this session.