By IANS,
New Delhi : Less than 75 MPs were present in the Lok Sabha when the house passed the Workmen’s Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2009 by voice vote. The bill seeks to provide compensation to employees in the case of injury or death due to industrial accidents.
No big leader of both the ruling and opposition parties were present in the 545-member house when Labour Minister Malllikarjun Kharge moved the bill for consideration and for passing at 6.00 p.m. after 24 members discussed it for more than three hours.
Deputy leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sushma Swaraj made a brief visit in the house while the discussion on the bill was on.
At 5.30 p.m., the strength of the house dipped to 51, three number less than the required quorum. Later, few more MPs joined the house and saved the treasury benches from embarrassment.
Apart from Kharge and his deputy Harish Rawat, Minister of State (MoS) for Civil Aviation Praful Patel, MoS Defence M.M. Pallam Raju, MoS Urban Development Saugata Ray, and MoS Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy were present on the treasury benches when the house passed the bill.
The bill also substituted the word “workman” with “employee”.
No senior leaders from the Left parties were present in the house at the time the bill was passed.