Govt to prioritise Ordinance replacing Bills this wk | Economic Times

As both Houses have been witnessing disruptions over Pegasus snooping allegations, the government has decided to prioritise ordinance replacing bills in the work week beginning Monday. The government is planning to introduce five of the six ordinance bills in the Lok Sabha this week.The government is likely to introduce Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, which replaces Insolvency and Bankruptcy Ordinance, in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill provides for a speedier, cost-effective, semi-formal and less disruptive framework for insolvency resolution in the corporate sector. With an unrelenting opposition refusing to allow conduct of business before the Centre addresses allegations of snooping, the government is determined to push the essential agenda through. A senior minister, who did not wish to be identified, told ET: “We will have to push the legislative agenda through, especially essential bills. If the opposition is not willing to participate in discussions, we have no other option.” The government has slated four more ordinance replacing bills — Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill 2021, Essential Defence Services Bill 2021, Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill and Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill 2021 — for consideration and passing over the next five sittings of the Lok Sabha. The bills have been prioritised in view of the technicality that an ordinance promulgated in the inter-session period has to be placed before Parliament as soon as it convenes. The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill is essential as it re-establishes a commission that had ceased to exist when the ordinance lapsed in March as the government could not bring a bill for consideration and passing during the budget session. The timing is paramount as it provides a “permanent solution and establishes a self-regulated, democratically monitored mechanism for tackling air pollution in National Capital Region”. This ordinance replacing bill is next on the agenda due to the time factor. Sources indicated that after Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Bill, this would be next on the agenda in the Lok Sabha.