Govt blinks, may refer GST, land bills to House panels

The Narendra Modi government blinked first in a tense standoff with the Opposition on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the land acquisition bills.

As the Congress-led Opposition kept up pressure in Parliament, the Centre on Monday sent out signals that it was ready to refer the two bills for time-bound scrutiny by Parliamentary panels.
As per the compromise formula, the GST Bill will be referred to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha, while the Land Acquisition Bill will be examined by a joint committee where two-third of its members will be from the Lok Sabha.

The government went into a huddle as the Congress raised the pitch and stalled proceedings in the Rajya Sabha on the issue of CAG strictures on Purti Sakhar Karkhana Limited, a firm which reportedly has links to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

“Let us play safe and have everyone on board,” was the mood in the BJP as it decided against taking the risk of pushing the GST Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha amid a walkout by the Congress.

The land acquisition bill also got stuck in the vicious circle of getting the nod of the Lok Sabha and prospects of getting stalled in the Rajya Sabha, where the government is in  minority.
The government had to re-promulgate the land ordinance as it failed to get Parliamentary approval in the first half of the Budget session.

The bill to replace the ordinance was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday amid protests by the Opposition.

The joint committee to examine the land acquisition bill will have 30 members – 20 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP will get to nominate 12 members from the Lok Sabha, including the chairman, and two from the Rajya Sabha.

The select committee on GST could have either 15 or 21 members. The AIADMK is the only party to have declared its opposition to the legislation.

The Congress has been insisting that the GST Bill be sent to a select committee for examining the changes effected by the Modi government.

The Centre is expected to move a motion in Parliament on Tuesday after taking a final call on it at a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party.

A senior Congress leader said that the GST Bill could be passed in the first week of the Monsoon session.