SP, BSP and RJD members today strongly opposed the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, with one of them even trying to climb the Speaker’s podium, leading to adjournment of the House till lunch.
The Bill, slated to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha, created storm in the Lok Sabha soon after Speaker Meira Kumar welcomed a Croatian delegation and read out a reference on International Women’s Day.
The moment Kumar called for Question Hour, SP, BSP and RJD members trooped into the Well demanding quotas for OBC, Dalit and Muslim women within the proposed law to reserve 33 per cent seats in Parliament and State assemblies for the fair sex.
The Speaker refused to adjourn the House and carried on with the Question Hour. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gestured his party members to move forward and himself marched to the Well from the side of the treasury benches. Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) and Lalu Prasad and Umashanker Singh (both RJD) followed Yadav.
At this moment, Mithilesh Kumar (SP) tried to climb the table placed in front of the Speaker prompting Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee to request Yadav to control his members.
On the SP chief’s directive, the members retreated a bit but stayed put in the Well and continued to raise slogans.
Showing posts with label Law Minister. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Law Minister. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Govt confident of passing Women’s Bill
The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 12 noon amid uproar over SP, RJD demand for implementation of Ranganath Misra Commission report on minority welfare.
Earlier today, the Government today expressed confidence over passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, saying though it did not want to “bulldoze” those opposing it, they should understand that equality was a fundamental right.
“I would say that it is a national resolve (to give 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies). In all these 14 years, it has been waiting. A change has to come and this is the day the change will come,” Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily told reporters.
The Bill is slated to be taken up in Rajya Sabha today.
When asked if government would demand removal of members opposed to the Bill from the House, Mr. Moily said this was a hypothetical question.
“Our idea is not to bulldoze things. In a democracy, differences of opinion will be there, dissent will be there,” Mr. Moily said, adding that in a country of 600 million people, differences are bound to exist.
“I don't find fault in this but, at the same time, there are 600 million people and you are not in a position to get more than 18.5 per cent into legislatures. You cannot continue this kind of a domain. We need to provide them (women) the succour....Equality is a fundamental right,” he said.
The Law Minister said democracy required taking “appropriate decisions at the appropriate time”.
The Bill being brought in to coincide with the International Women's Day is expected to be approved without
any hitch with the Congress, BJP and the Left support and backing of some small parties and independents.
A Constitution amendment needs a two-thirds majority in voting requiring the support of 155 MPs in Rajya Sabha for its passage. The bill has clear backing of at least 165 MPs in the House with an effective strength of 233.
The opponents of the measure, BSP and SP, have 12 members each in Rajya Sabha while RJD has 4. Former premier H. D. Deve Gowda, whose JD(S) has 2 seats, said his party would give support if there is a OBC quota.
Earlier today, the Government today expressed confidence over passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, saying though it did not want to “bulldoze” those opposing it, they should understand that equality was a fundamental right.
“I would say that it is a national resolve (to give 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies). In all these 14 years, it has been waiting. A change has to come and this is the day the change will come,” Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily told reporters.
The Bill is slated to be taken up in Rajya Sabha today.
When asked if government would demand removal of members opposed to the Bill from the House, Mr. Moily said this was a hypothetical question.
“Our idea is not to bulldoze things. In a democracy, differences of opinion will be there, dissent will be there,” Mr. Moily said, adding that in a country of 600 million people, differences are bound to exist.
“I don't find fault in this but, at the same time, there are 600 million people and you are not in a position to get more than 18.5 per cent into legislatures. You cannot continue this kind of a domain. We need to provide them (women) the succour....Equality is a fundamental right,” he said.
The Law Minister said democracy required taking “appropriate decisions at the appropriate time”.
The Bill being brought in to coincide with the International Women's Day is expected to be approved without
any hitch with the Congress, BJP and the Left support and backing of some small parties and independents.
A Constitution amendment needs a two-thirds majority in voting requiring the support of 155 MPs in Rajya Sabha for its passage. The bill has clear backing of at least 165 MPs in the House with an effective strength of 233.
The opponents of the measure, BSP and SP, have 12 members each in Rajya Sabha while RJD has 4. Former premier H. D. Deve Gowda, whose JD(S) has 2 seats, said his party would give support if there is a OBC quota.
Centre unfazed by opposition to Women's Reservation Bill
The government on Sunday expressed the hope that the Women's Reservation Bill, 2008 would be passed in the current session of Parliament despite opposition from some political parties.
“I am expecting men and women to support me when I present the Bill in Rajya Sabha tomorrow [Monday],'' Union Law and Justice Minister Veerappa Moily said at a function here.
He said consensus among major political parties emerged after a lot of consultations but added that no single party could claim credit for it. The Bill has been pending for over a decade.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has described the proposed legislation as “anti-Muslim and anti-other backward classes'' in its present form as it excluded women of these sections.
Terming the Bill “dangerous,'' SP chief Mulayam Singh suggested in Lucknow that women be given 50 per cent reservation in government jobs rather than a quota in Parliament and the State Assemblies.
The SP has called a meeting of its Rajya Sabha members for Monday morning to chalk out its course of action when the Bill is tabled.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal, too, has said it would oppose the Bill “tooth and nail and is “even prepared to be marshalled out.''
Describing the Bill as a “political blunder,'' RJD president Lalu Prasad said in Patna that it was a conspiracy hatched by both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress to suppress representation of women belonging to the Other Backward Classes, the Scheduled Tribes/Scheduled Castes and Muslim communities.
While there is a split in the Janata Dal (United) over the Bill with the Bihar Chief Minister extending support and party chief Sharad Yadav opposing it, the Bahujan Samaj Party has said it will not back the legislation in its present form.
Janata Dal (Secular) chief H.D. Deve Gowda, too, has said that his party will support the Bill only if there is reservation for OBC women.
But undeterred by these developments, Mr. Moily said: “After all, the country needs such legislation and with our best intentions, the political parties could not evolve a system where adequate representation was made available to women.”
He said the proposed constitutional amendment was the only “remedy'' to provide adequate representation to women.
“The people of the country, the women and Parliament will take the credit. There is no partition in this credit,” he said, when asked to react on the BJP's claim that it had first introduced the proposed legislation in the Lok Sabha but it could not be passed following stiff opposition.
“I am expecting men and women to support me when I present the Bill in Rajya Sabha tomorrow [Monday],'' Union Law and Justice Minister Veerappa Moily said at a function here.
He said consensus among major political parties emerged after a lot of consultations but added that no single party could claim credit for it. The Bill has been pending for over a decade.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has described the proposed legislation as “anti-Muslim and anti-other backward classes'' in its present form as it excluded women of these sections.
Terming the Bill “dangerous,'' SP chief Mulayam Singh suggested in Lucknow that women be given 50 per cent reservation in government jobs rather than a quota in Parliament and the State Assemblies.
The SP has called a meeting of its Rajya Sabha members for Monday morning to chalk out its course of action when the Bill is tabled.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal, too, has said it would oppose the Bill “tooth and nail and is “even prepared to be marshalled out.''
Describing the Bill as a “political blunder,'' RJD president Lalu Prasad said in Patna that it was a conspiracy hatched by both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress to suppress representation of women belonging to the Other Backward Classes, the Scheduled Tribes/Scheduled Castes and Muslim communities.
While there is a split in the Janata Dal (United) over the Bill with the Bihar Chief Minister extending support and party chief Sharad Yadav opposing it, the Bahujan Samaj Party has said it will not back the legislation in its present form.
Janata Dal (Secular) chief H.D. Deve Gowda, too, has said that his party will support the Bill only if there is reservation for OBC women.
But undeterred by these developments, Mr. Moily said: “After all, the country needs such legislation and with our best intentions, the political parties could not evolve a system where adequate representation was made available to women.”
He said the proposed constitutional amendment was the only “remedy'' to provide adequate representation to women.
“The people of the country, the women and Parliament will take the credit. There is no partition in this credit,” he said, when asked to react on the BJP's claim that it had first introduced the proposed legislation in the Lok Sabha but it could not be passed following stiff opposition.
Friday, January 29, 2010
3G: Auction put off to next fiscal
The government has postponed auction of spectrum for 3G telephony to the next fiscal. The auction was expected to bring in Rs 35,000 crore to the exchequer.
According to senior officials in the Department of Telecom, Law Minister Veerappa Moily, who is a member of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), has opined that the auction should he held when the spectrum is available.
Telecom Minister A. Raja could not be contacted immediately for his comments. Officials, however, said that the auction is expected to take place in August-September this year.
The Ministry of Defence had agreed to vacate the spectrum only during middle of this year.
The EGoM, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had decided to allow four private telecom firms for the next generation mobile telephone services (3G) and had made a provision for garnering up to Rs 35,000 crore from the sale of airwaves in the current fiscal.
The postponement of 3G spectrum auction to 2010-11 is likely to have some impact on the government’s finances and the fiscal deficit which is pegged at 6.8 per cent of the GDP.
The EGoM on 3G spectrum held several meetings in the past two months showing urgency to hold auction for the airwaves despite differences between ministries of telecom and defence over the number of blocks to be suctioned.
The EGoM had also decided that spectrum would be alloted to the winners simultaneously in August to maintain a level-playing field and the same was endorsed by all the members, including the Law Minister, sources said.
Last week, the government had also allowed prospective 3G bidders to raise funds from domestic markets, which could later be refinanced through debts raised abroad making it easier for the firms to arrange finances.
The external commercial borrowings (ECBs) norms were relaxed considering the short window available between the date of application for the 3G auction and the date of payment by successful bidders.
Sources also said that some of the leading Indian telecom firms were pushing for 3G spectrum auction to next financial year in view of the global slowdown and increased competition which have put pressure on their revenues.
Asked to name the companies who had approached the government to postpone the auction to next fiscal, sources declined to give details.
The two telecom PSUs (BSNL and MTNL) have been given the 3G spectrum and both are offering services across the country with MTNL in two metros of Delhi and Mumbai and BSNL in rest of India.
According to senior officials in the Department of Telecom, Law Minister Veerappa Moily, who is a member of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), has opined that the auction should he held when the spectrum is available.
Telecom Minister A. Raja could not be contacted immediately for his comments. Officials, however, said that the auction is expected to take place in August-September this year.
The Ministry of Defence had agreed to vacate the spectrum only during middle of this year.
The EGoM, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had decided to allow four private telecom firms for the next generation mobile telephone services (3G) and had made a provision for garnering up to Rs 35,000 crore from the sale of airwaves in the current fiscal.
The postponement of 3G spectrum auction to 2010-11 is likely to have some impact on the government’s finances and the fiscal deficit which is pegged at 6.8 per cent of the GDP.
The EGoM on 3G spectrum held several meetings in the past two months showing urgency to hold auction for the airwaves despite differences between ministries of telecom and defence over the number of blocks to be suctioned.
The EGoM had also decided that spectrum would be alloted to the winners simultaneously in August to maintain a level-playing field and the same was endorsed by all the members, including the Law Minister, sources said.
Last week, the government had also allowed prospective 3G bidders to raise funds from domestic markets, which could later be refinanced through debts raised abroad making it easier for the firms to arrange finances.
The external commercial borrowings (ECBs) norms were relaxed considering the short window available between the date of application for the 3G auction and the date of payment by successful bidders.
Sources also said that some of the leading Indian telecom firms were pushing for 3G spectrum auction to next financial year in view of the global slowdown and increased competition which have put pressure on their revenues.
Asked to name the companies who had approached the government to postpone the auction to next fiscal, sources declined to give details.
The two telecom PSUs (BSNL and MTNL) have been given the 3G spectrum and both are offering services across the country with MTNL in two metros of Delhi and Mumbai and BSNL in rest of India.
