Parliament Winter Session: The Modi government has listed 18 bills, including two to extend provisions of the women’s reservation act to Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry and three to replace the criminal laws, during the Winter Session of Parliament beginning next week. The session will begin on December 4 and end on December 22.
Bill to extend strength of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly likely
According to a bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the government also plans to bring a bill to increase the strength of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly from 107 to 114 in a bid to provide representation to Kashmiri migrants, displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Scheduled Tribes.
Besides the bills, the government has listed the first batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2023-24 for presentation, discussion and voting during the session. The Winter Session of Parliament begins on December 4 and will continue till December 22.
Bills to replace three criminal bills to be placed
Bills to replace colonial-era criminals laws including the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act respectively have also been listed for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha. These are Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya.
The three bills were examined by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, which submitted its reports with dissent notes by opposition members.
The new bills listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha are:
- The Boilers Bill
- The Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill
- The Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill
- The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill
- The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill
- The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill.
- The Central University (Amendment) Bill
- The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill
- The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, seek to extend provisions of the Women’s Reservation Act to J-K and Puducherry, respectively.
- The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, proposes to set up a three-member committee led by the prime minister for appointing future chief election commissioners and election commissioners.
- The Post Office Bill, introduced in the Rajya Sabha, have also been listed for the Winter Session.
- The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill
- The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, which were approved by the Rajya Sabha, too have been listed for consideration and passage by the Lok Sabha.
- The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill
- The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill
- The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill
- The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill
- The Repealing and Amending Bill, which was approved by Lok Sabha, has been listed by Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage.
Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill
This Bill proposes to set up a three-member committee led by the prime minister for appointing future chief election commissioners and election commissioners.
The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill
This Bill seeks to simplify the registration process for periodicals and newspapers and do away with several penal provisions that led to the prosecution and imprisonment of publishers.
With inputs from PTI
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