Parliament Diary

Lok
Sabha  passed the Railway Budget for 2014-2015. Supplementary demands
for grants (Railways) were also passed by the House today.  

The
Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was passed in the upper house
today. Some members of the opposition benches voiced their protests to
take up this discussion as they pointed out that another Bill regarding
Insurance Laws was already pending in the House. To this, the Deputy
Chairman clarified that only one bill, i.e. the 2015 bill which has been
passed by the Lok Sabha previously is listed in the business of the day
and as per constitutional procedures the Bill must be discussed. The
bill among other things raises the cap of foreign investments in Indian
insurance companies to 49%.

In Rajya Sabha members also discussed the plight of rubber farmers due to its falling prices.  

The legislative agenda at the beginning of the Session included six ordinances that had to be replaced by Bills.  These Bills required that they
be passed within six weeks of the reassembly of Parliament such that
the ordinances do not expire. Currently three of these Bills replacing
the Ordinances have been passed by both the Houses, while all six have
been passed by Lok Sabha.

 Two
Bills i.e. the Coal Mines Special Provisions Bill and the Mines and
Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, were referred to Select
Committees in Rajya Sabha yesterday. The Committees have been given time
till March 18 to submit their reports.  Given Parliament breaks for recess on March 20, these two Bills must be passed in the Upper House such that the Ordinances do not lapse.

The Land Acquisition Bill, also replacing an Ordinance remains to be taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha.

The legislative agenda of the government listed a number of Bills for introduction during this Session. These are: