Government lines up 23 Bills for Monsoon session

Government has lined up a heavy Legislative agenda for the Monsoon session beginning on Monday that includes Bills to cut the salaries of Parliamentarians by 30% for one year to meet Covid-19 exigencies, agricultural reforms and to punish assault on Covid Warriors with a jail term.

Of the 23 Bills listed for the Monsoon session by the government, 11 are to replace Ordinances that were issued during the inter-session period.

The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to reduce the salary of MPs by 30% for a year beginning April 1, 2020. A second key Bill will replace the Epidemic Diseases Amendment Ordinance which provides preventive measures against violence on healthcare personnel and damage of property.

Aggressors will be liable to a jail term ranging from three months to seven years plus fine ranging between Rs 50,000 and Rs five lakh. The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Bill seeks to address the challenges faced by taxpayers due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government and the opposition are set for a face-off on the two agriculture reform ordinances that allow farmers to sell their farm produce beyond the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) and enter into farming agreements with agri-business firms.

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 seeks to provide an ecosystem wherein farmers/traders can pick markets for sale and purchase, while the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Prices Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 for a national framework on farming agreements to empower farmers to engage with agro-business firms.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, seeks to empower the Centre to control production, supply, distribution, trade and commerce in certain commodities.

Among the economic bills, The Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Second) Amendment Bill seeks to temporarily suspend initiation of the corporate insolvency resolution process, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority to separate NPS Trust from the Authority and the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) to address the challenges faced by taxpayers in the meeting statutory and regulatory compliance due to Covid-19 pandemic.