LS likely to take up three bills to replace ordinances in first part of budget session

The Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha met on Tuesday and decided that three of the four ordinances, which have to be replaced with bills, will be taken up in the first half of budget session and the remaining one ordinance in the second half, sources said.

Bills to replace ordinances are on priority legislative agenda of the government.

A bill to replace ordinance has already been introduced in Lok Sabha. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had introduced Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 on February 4.

The bill seeks to ensure that all stakeholder parties get an opportunity to seek an unconditional stay of enforcement of arbitral awards where the underlying arbitration agreement or contract or making of the arbitral award are induced by fraud or corruption. It will replace an ordinance promulgated in November last year.

Sources said BAC has decided to allocate two hours for discussion on the bill and it is likely to be taken up for passage on February 12.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2021 also seeks to replace an ordinance. The bill is also slated to be taken up on February 12 and two hours have been allocated for discussion on it, sources said. The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Another bill on the priority agenda of the government is Jammu and Kashmir Reorgsation (Amendment) Bill 2021. The bill, which was passed by Rajya Sabha on Monday, seeks to replace an ordinance promulgated on January 7 this year. The BAC decided that three hours will be allocated for discussion on this bill on February 13.

Sources said that the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021, is slated to be taken up in the second part of the budget session. The ordinance was promulgated in October last year.

The first part of the budget session will conclude on February 13. The Parliament will again meet on March 8 and the budget session will conclude on April 8.

( With inputs from ANI )