Govt ready to extend Parliament session to push important bills

NEW DELHI: The current session of Parliament may be extended to enable the passage of bills, parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu told BJP MPs here on Tuesday. 

Addressing the BJP parliamentary party meeting at the central hall of Parliament, he said the government is committed to pass important legislations in Parliament and would extend the current session, if Congress adopts “obstructionist” measures. 

Government is keen to get important bills passed like the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, Apprentices (Amendment) Bill, Constitution (121st Amendment) Bill, Repealing and Amending Bill, Factories (Amendment) Bill, the the Insurance Bill, the Securities Laws (Amendment) Bill and the Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Amendment Bill. 

Naidu charged the Congress with “running away” from passage of bills.

The parliamentary affairs minister also asked the party MPs to ensure their presence in both the Houses as there was a constitutional amendment bill to be taken up and passed. 

Finance minister Arun Jaitley listed out the purpose behind bringing the bill on judicial reforms and said it should not be construed as a “Government versus Judiciary” or “Parliament versus Judiciary”. 

“It is broadly aimed at bringing transparency in appointment of judges and their transfers,” he told the MPs.