With the main Budget business out of the way, the next session of the Lok Sabha that will open in the first week of April has a heavy complement of controversial economic and non-economic Bills to clear.
The House is in recess after the Budget session and will meet again in April for a prolonged session.
Among the tentative business to be taken up by the House, the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill 2000, the Electricity Bill 2001 and the controversial Lokpal Bill 2001 must be passed by the Lok Sabha.
Most of these Bills were so controversial that they were referred to standing committees.
All the respective standing committees have submitted their reports. Some like the Lokpal Bill were introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2001. The Standing Committee gave its report as far back as February 2002.
The Fiscal Responsibility Bill which makes it mandatory for the state governments to ensure their finances are run with a measure of responsibility, is likely to be a direct political blow to the Congress-ruled states.
The Congress has governments in more than 15 states as opposed to the BJP/NDA that has governments in three.
Although the party has no serious objections to the Bill, its political use at this point of time with the General Elections due in a little more than a year, could affect the party's electoral chances.
There are other financial Bills pending before the Lok Sabha in respect of which the standing committee might give its report during the recess.
The Banking Companies (acquisition and transfer of undertakings) and Financial Institutions Law (Amendment) Bill, 2000 is pending before the standing committee on finance since December 2000.
The same is true of the Financial Companies (regulation) Bill 2000. Among other Bills pending with standing committees are the Major Port Trusts (Amendment) Bill 2001, the Petroleum Regulatory Board Bill (2002) and the Actuaries Bill 2002.
The Rajya Sabha is yet to pass the Companies Bill 1997 and the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill 2002. Although a ministry-wise discussion on demands for grants will spill over to the new session, the heavy legislative agenda demands the Lok Sabha sit long hours without interruption to clear the Bills. Whether this will happen is another matter.
