JOIN USOppn to corner govt on Lokpal, Mumbai blasts
The government is hoping to introduce as many as 34 key bills during the session, which is starting after the delay of two weeks.
Corruption, protests over land acquisition for housing, industry and mining are some of the issues to figure during the session, while the government may face challenges from the opposition benches as it prepares to introduce the Lokpal Bill on August 3.
The Bill is likely to come for a thread-bare discussion as many opposition parties –including the BJP—prefers the inclusion of Prime Minister under the ambit of the Lokpal. It could explode further when civil society activist Anna Hazare begins his hunger strike against the government version of the Bill on August 16.
The opposition will also be expecting to corner the government on the recent Mumbai blasts, food inflation, Maoists violence, black money and Telangana.
Proceedings at the CBI court on 2G Spectrum scam in the next couple of weeks could also embarrass the government further with former telecom minister A Raja dragging the Prime Minister into the issue and calling Home Minister P Chidambaram to the witness stand.
The government also has plenty of ammunition to target the BJP over the indictment of B S Yeddyurappa in the mining scam by Karnataka Lokayukta despite his resignation on Sunday. The government has readied as much as 71 bills , including 34 for introduction, such as the National Food Security Bill, a bill related to land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement and the Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill.
The session will have 26 sittings and will conclude on September 8. Though the monsoon session usually starts by second week of July, the government wanted to buy more time following uncertainties over the Lokpal Bill.