By IANS,
New Delhi : The compulsions of coalition politics were more than evident in the first half of parliament’s budget session and analysts feel the going will be equally sombre in the coming days.
Even if opposition attacks were understandable, the government was particularly miffed by the conduct of two of its key allies: the Trinamool Congress and the DMK.
In an unprecedented development, the government had to replace Dinesh Trivedi as railway minister and partially backroll hike in passenger fares following intense pressure from Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee.
The government also came under attack over allegations made by army chief Gen V.K. Singh that he had been offered bribe to purchase allegedly sub-standard trucks.
Pundits admit the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) faces no threat of being topped but that is more because no one appears to be ready for early elections.
“The government will not like to remember it (the first half of budget session) with any degree of enthusiasm,” political analyst Aswini K. Ray told IANS.
Formerly from the Jawaharlal Nehru University here, Ray said the government was also likely to find the going tough in the next half of the budget session.
Ray added there was no crisis for the government for now as “no one wants an election”.
But the situation “was so unstable that it may lead to conjuctural crisis in a way difficult to predict”, he added.
Nisar-ul-Haq, who heads the political science department at the Jamia Millia University, said: “The government will continue to face coalition compulsions but I don’t think there is any threat to the government.”
He said the government will continue its “tightrope walk” in view of its aggressive allies.
A.S. Narang of IGNOU said pressure from allies had prevented the government from pursuing a bold economic reforms in the budget presented during the session.
“The government could have taken hard decisions towards third generation economic reforms but made compromises,” he said.
Rakesh Sinha, a professor of political science at Delhi University, said the government was surviving mainly because the opposition was not keen on early Lok Sabha elections.
“The main concern of the governent is to survive till 2014,” he said. “The government has not created an atmosphere for a healthy debate.”
The first phase of budget session began March 12 and ended March 30.
Apart from the Trinamool, the government faced pressure from DMK, which wanted India to vote against Sri Lanka at a UN human rights meet in Geneva over the killing of Tamils.
Due to the UPA’s lack of majority in Rajya Sabha, the opposition, aided by some of its own allies, forced the deferment of the Border Security Force (Amendment) bill and the Whistleblowers Protection Bill.
Parliament will meet again April 24 for the second half of the budget session.
Important bills for budget session
With the first half of the budget session dedicated to financial business, the government has atleast 39 bills pending from previous sessions for passing when parliament resumes April 24. Theses include a host of anti-graft bills, including the Lokpal bill.
Here are some important bills slated for the session:
The Lokpal and Lokayukta bill: Lokpal bill remains the highlight of this session. Passed by Lok Sabha at the fag end of winter session last year, government has promised to bring the much awaited bill anti-graft ombudsman bill in Rajya Sabha in the second half of the session, and as indicated by sources, has also agreed to accommodate some of opposition demands to ensure smooth passage of the bill.
The Whistleblowers Protection Bill: The bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha with the Lokpal bill, was deferred for introduction in Rajya Sabha on Thursday amidst opposition demands and is to be presented in the second half of the session.
The Judicial Accountability Bill passed by the Lok Sabha March 23 on the last day before the break. The bill aims to aid setting of new probity standards in the Indian judiciary.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill. The bill was stalled by opposition from ally Trinamool Congress. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has also assured that the government wishes to get the bill through in this session.
The Education Tribunal Bill: This bill seeks to create separate tribunals for handling cases related to education institutions. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha in August 2010.
The Border Security Force (Amendment) Bill. To the government’s embarrassment, the bill was deferred in the Rajya Sabha with members expressing reservations over it’s encroachment on state’s right of maintaining law and order. The elders demanded the issue to be discussed in the chief minister’s meeting scheduled for April 16, and is expected in the second half.
The Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill. Introduced in Lok Sabha in 2010, it was later amended to include domestic helps in its ambit. The bill is expected in this session.
The Mines Bill, which came in focus after allegations of a multi crore coal mining scam, has been assured to be brought in this session. However, some other government sources say major inter-ministerial consultations are still remaining to get the bill through. It seeks to consolidate and amend the law relating to the scientific development and regulation of mines and minerals under the control of the central government.
What is unlikely in the present session is the landmark food security bill. Food Minister K. V. Thomas has clearly ruled out the possibility of bringing the bill in this session as a parliamentary standing committee is yet to submit it’s report on the bill.