Modi government trying for passage of all bills to replace ordinances

NEW DELHI: Unfazed by its differences with the Opposition and even some of its allies, the Narendra Modi government intends to bring Bills on all the eight Ordinances, including the Land Acquisition Bill and the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, in the Lok Sabha soon after the Budget presentation and the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. Coal Mining (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015 will be the first proposed legislation that the government plans to introduce in the Lok Sabha after the Parliament break for Holi festivities.

"Though the date for introducing the Bill has not been decided yet, the government has conveyed to all parties that it will bring this legislation in the week starting March 9," a union minister told ET. Coal Minister Piyush Goyal will introduce the new Bill . Government had deferred the Motion to withdraw the Coal Mining (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014; Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008; and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014 in the Rajya Sabha after the Opposition, which outnumbers the NDA in the Upper House, announced that it is opposed to the proposal.

The government had promulgated Ordinances on these three issues after failing to get the three Bills passed in the winter session of Parliament. The government still has an uphill task ahead on the Land Acquisition Bill as Congress, Left as well as NDA allies like Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party are opposed to it on the grounds that it is "anti-farmer". But union ministers are confident that the government will get some of the regional parties on board and manage to get this Bill passed in the Upper House as well.