Parliament's winter session set to begin today, 26 bills on agenda

The winter session of the Parliament is set to begin on Monday. The BJP-led government has a heavy agenda for the winter session with its legislative business including 26 new bills.

The government has indicated that the bill to repeal three farm laws will also be taken up on priority.

The bill was cleared by the Union Cabinet last week. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur had told reporters after the meeting that it will be the government's priority to get the three farm laws repealed in the winter session of Parliament.



The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 seeks to repeal the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance, Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Farmers have been protesting against the three central farm laws on various borders of Delhi since November 2020.

The government's agenda also includes the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021.

The bills on the government's agenda include the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Second Amendment) Bill, Cantonment Bill, Inter-Services Organizations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, Indian Antarctica Bill, Indian Antarctica Bill and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill.

Other bills include the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, Indian Maritime Fisheries Bill, National Dental Commission Bill, National Nursing Midwifery Commission Bill, Metro Rail (Construction, Operation and Maintenance) Bill, High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, Electricity (Amendment) Bill, Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, National Transport University Bill, Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, National AntiDoping Bill and Mediation Bill.

Three bills, which had been referred to standing committees, are also on the agenda of the government for passage.

These are Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation Bill, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill and Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (Amendment) Bill.

Lok Sabha's Business Advisory Committee (BAC) is scheduled to meet at 10:30 am on Monday as the winter session of Parliament commences today. A meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Rajya Sabha is also scheduled to be held today at 10 am.

Meanwhile, Congress has issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present in both the Houses of the Parliament on November 29. The Bharatiya Janata Party has also issued a three-line whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs asking them to be present in the House on November 29.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has called on a meeting on Monday of all the Opposition parties to create consensus over the issues to be raised in the Parliament.

However, as per Kharge, the Trinamool Congress will not attend the meeting.

The winter session is scheduled to conclude on December 23.