http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/interviews/congress-is-not-giving-blank-cheques-of-support-to-the-govt-on-key-bills-anand-sharma/articleshow/47143097.cms
Congress is not giving blank cheques of support to the govt on key Bills: Anand Sharma By CL Manoj, ET Bureau | 4 May, 2015, 01.22AM IST *Can one expect the Congress support when the government is trying to get many key Bills passed in the last week of the budget session?* *Anand Sharma*: The Congress is not giving blank cheques of support to the government on these Bills. We are also opposing the government listing the Real Estate Regulatory (Amend) Bill for passing in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Our opposition to these Bills are due to factors: a) the arrogant and confrontationist attitude the Modi government vis a vis opposition parties, thanks to the misplaced swagger it had acquired post poll victory. The government is trying to reduce Parliament into a rubber stamp, bringing ordinances, bulldosing rules and procedures for legislation and bypassing standing committees or select committees by using brute majority in the LS ( Lok Sabha). b) The government has made key amendments to each of these Bills by tampering with its original structures. *A day after Rahul Gandhi's meeting with home buyers, are you signalling to block the Real Estate Regulatory Bill as well?* *Anand Sharma*: Rahulji listened to the middle-class home buyers precisely because there has been widespread concern about the changes the NDA government made to UPA's real estate regulatory Bill to make it now pro-builders and anti-home-buyers. Let the ministers deny what I am now telling ET, that the government, despite having earlier agreeing to to refer this Bill to a Rajya Sabha select committee, and after approaching opposition parties for their nominees for the panel, has gone back from its word and listed the same Bill on Tuesday's list of business. We and likeminded parties will give notices on Monday, demanding the Bill be referred to the select committee. *GST Bill was the Congress-led UPA's baby...* *Anand Sharma*: UPA brought the GST Bill after wider consultations and agreement and still the then CM of Gujrat, Modi, ordered his party to block it. Now, the Modi regime has amended the original Bill, triggering opposition from many parties and state governments. That is why we, along with other opposition parties, want the amended GST Bill to be referred to a house panel or a joint panel for sorting out issues. *The Indo-Bangladesh land swapping Bill...* *Anand Sharma*: It was the Manmohan Singh government that worked studiously to frame this international agreement with Bangladesh. To our shock, the Modi government has tampered with this international treaty by taking off areas of Assam from the Bill's purview to help the BJP's narrow partisan interests in Assam. Our message to the government is clear: bring back the Assam areas into the Bill and get our support, or else face our opposition in Parliament. *The government talks of a joint sitting of both houses to tide over your opposition to the land Bill.* *Anand Sharma*: The more the government persists with its amended version of land acquisition, which has done away with all safeguards - social impact and consent clause, and fair compensation norms - which the UPA had brought in to safeguard farmers' interests, there will be massive resistance both in Parliament and across the nation. *Ministers say the Congress' opposition to the government's policies amounts to blocking of the growth path of India.* *Anand Sharma*: People are fully aware of the Congress' commitment to economic reforms and growth. The faulty figures ministers quoting are meant as a smokescreen as the fizz of the Modi government's 'acha din' has gone flat just within a year because it lacks a vision for administration and policy formulations. Where are the promised investments and jobs? Instead of blaming the opposition, the government must explain why saner voices of industry such as Deepak Parekh, BJP's very own Arun Shourie and reputed international investor Jim Rogers, the very people who have been bullish about Modi and his government, are now lamenting nothing is happening on the ground to boost economic growth. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
