Select committee on insurance bill gets two more weeks to examine amendments

NEW DELHI: Opposition members came together in the Rajya Sabha to object to a resolution seeking more time for the select committee to examine amendments to the insurance bill, before it was finally approved. On a noisy second day, Congress MPs also protested against the renaming of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

Although the Rajya Sabha extended the select committee’s deadline by two weeks till December 12, it was not before CPM leaders P Rajeev and Congress leader Anand Sharma raised questions over the procedure adopted to seek extension.

When committee chairman and BJP leader Chandan Mitra moved the resolution, Rajeev objected saying members of the select committee were not aware of the move and hence, Mitra was not authorised to do so. Other member Derek O’Brien of Trinamool Congress and JD Seelam of Congress joined in to say they were also unaware of the move and that a meeting of the committee be called to resolve this.

Rejecting their demand, an unusually aggressive Arun Jaitley said that the House was free to not grant an extension to the select committee and the government was ready to bring the insurance bill the next day. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien then put the resolution to give the select committee an extension and it was passed by a voice vote.