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Congress to support economic Bills on merit

BS Political Bureau in New Delhi

The Congress has indicated that of the 23 economic Bills pending before Parliament, it will consider supporting the National Democratic Alliance on several, provided the government calls an all-party meeting to discuss the Bills.

Sources in the Congress said Manmohan Singh had written to Finance Minister Jaswant Singh, explaining that the government must prioritise its economic agenda and not simply bombard Parliament with legislation.

It must seek to create consensus and call an all-party meeting on this. The Congress, the letter said, would support such legislation as was consistent with the party's policy.

This letter was written in the first week of November in reply to a letter from Jaswant Singh, seeking the support of the Congress to pass crucial economic Bills.

The Congress has a majority in the Rajya Sabha and can defeat these Bills. As these are not Money Bills, they require the assent of the Rajya Sabha.

Of the 23 pending Bills, including crucial ones like the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, the Congress is clear that it will not support the Bills proposing bank denationalisation.

Support for labour law amendments can be considered provided they are dressed up suitably.

"We will not support a law that will make us appear anti-working class," a source said.

The Congress believes the government has made a mess of the amendments proposed in the Companies Act and the Sick Industries and Companies Act.

The standing committee attached to the home ministry supported the amendments while the standing committee on finance felt the abolition of the Bureau for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction was a matter that needed further discussion. This Bill, therefore, is unlikely to come up in the winter session.

The Bill for setting up a petroleum regulatory board will be supported by the Congress, as will the amendments in the Negotiable Instruments Act.

And the party will probably support the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, despite earlier indications to the contrary.

The Congress is also reported to have assured the government that at least a few Bills - the one on non-performing assets, the Bill on non-banking financial companies, the repeal of the Industrial Development Bank of India Act and the Unit Trust of India Act - will get its support.

Although the final decision on support for any particular Bill will be decided at a meeting of the party every morning while Parliament is in session, the broad indications are that the Congress will use the winter session for constructive legislative work.

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