Om Birla
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The Modi government is likely to introduce ‘Health Security to National Security Cess Bill, 2025’ in Parliament during the Winter Session starting December 1 besides pitching for a discussion on the 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, even as the Opposition is insisting on a debate on Special Intensive Revision and electoral “malpractices”.
At a meeting of Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) to be chaired by Speaker Om Birla on Sunday, sources said the government is likely to urge the panel to fix the schedule for Bills, also including one to amend the Central Excise Act and Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill.
The President has given her permission to the Lok Sabha for the introduction and consideration of these three Bills, being money bills, under various Articles of the Constitution on Saturday. Details of these Bills – Health Security se National Security Cess Bill 2025, The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Manipur GST (Second Amendment) Bill – are not available in the public domain.
The meeting of the Lok Sabha BAC is scheduled at 5 pm and it is also likely to fix time for a discussion and voting on the first batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2025-26. A meeting of Rajya Sabha BAC is also scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
The government had in November third week shared a tentative list of 12 Bills, which it wants to bring in Parliament during this session. Of this, a Bill on Chandigarh to amend the Constitution triggered a controversy following which the government said it would not be bringing it this time.
While the scheduling of Bills may not be a problem, the Opposition is likely to insist on a debate on SIR and other issues while the government has made it clear it wants a discussion on the completion of 150 years of Vande Mataram, the national song.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently accused the Congress of removing key stanzas from ‘Vande Mataram’. Congress hit back saying Modi was trying to distort history to deflect attention from “pressing national concerns” while insulting Rabindranath Tagore who recommended that the later stanzas be avoided as they had elements that were not inclusive.