Passing bills amid din not good for democracy: Chidambaram

By IANS,

New Delhi : After the Lok Sabha passed three bills amidst a din, the government Monday said this was not good for democracy and that there was a tacit understanding among parliamentarians on their passage.


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“It is not good for democracy but some bills had to be passed and there was a broad consensus and a tacit understanding among the MPs on such bills,” Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters here.

The three bills passed in the lower house were: The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Amendment Bill, 2011; Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Work Place Bill, 2010; and the National Highways Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2011.

The finance minister, however, said that he was not in favour of passing important bills like those related to the pensions, banking and insurance sector reforms without a debate.

“That is why we did not list seminal economic reform bills on pension and banking… We will not pass them in a din,” said Chidambaram.

The government did not list the crucial Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Bill, 2011, and the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill in the ongoing monsoon session after they faced opposition from its ally Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

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