Govt seeks to pass 25 key bills in Winter Session of Parliament

As many as 25 pending bills and 14 new ones, including Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Muslim women rights, are scheduled to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament which commenced today.

"Main issues in the session will be supplementary demand for grants, Constitutional amendment Article 123 (Constitutional status to backward classes), Muslim women Right on Marriage 2017 bill. We will also discuss three ordinances including GST compensation to states," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar reportedly said on Thursday.

Among the 25 Bills, few important bills expected to be taken up are: The Goods & Services Tax (Compensation to States) Ordinance, 2017, Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016, Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016.

Following is today's legislative business for the two Houses of Parliament:

Lok Sabha

Bills to be introduced: The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill; The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill; The Dentists (Amendment) Bill; The Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill. 

Bills for consideration and passing: The Repealing and Amending Bill.

The Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill; The Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill. 

The winter session is scheduled to conclude on January 5, 2018.

Rajya Sabha

Bill for consideration and passing: The Companies (Amendment) Bill; The Indian Institutes of Management
Bill; and the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Bill.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2.30 pm soon after it met for Question Hour. The House witnessed heated exchanges between the opposition and government over the allegations levelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

The Lok Sabha was also adjourned for the day till Monday after obituary references. 

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan condoled the death of three sitting and some other former members, including former union minister and Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi.

The Winter Session is scheduled to conclude on January 5, 2018.