Coal Bill likely to clear Rajya Sabha hurdle

The reform Bills on auctioning of coal and minerals may clear the Rajya Sabha hurdle with the majority in the two Select Committees making no changes in them although some Opposition members have expressed dissent.

Keen to push through the two key Bills, the government is considering extending the Session by two days as it hopes to overcome final obstacles despite some members dissenting to the Committees' recommendations.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs met in the morning and decided in principle to extend the session.

However, a final call on the issue will be taken on Thursday if government managers are able to strike a deal with the opposition parties.

The opposition parties had forced the government to refer the two Bills to the Committees.

While the CPI-M, CPI, Congress and JD-U submitted dissent notes on the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015, Congress, CPI-M and DMK have submitted dissent notes on the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015.

In the report on mines and minerals Bill, the dissent note given by CPI-M, Congress, JD-U and CPI wants the provision for enhancement of lease tenure from 30 years to 50 years and a mechanism to be set up to ensure intermittent assessment of the mine's performance.

It also wants monitoring of both government and private mines along with enhancement of penalty and special courts to curb illegal mining.

Besides, the parties also want that mining blocks selected for auction must get environmental and forest clearance.

In its dissent note on the report on the coal Bill, the Congress has said that the panel was given just seven days to deliberate on the issue, which was insufficient as the Committee could not talk to the various stakeholders.

Though the government has been able to rope in the Trinamool Congress and the Biju Janata Dal in the upper House, the math still does not work out in its favour. Sources said that the government will try to bring the Opposition on board by agreeing to a few changes suggested by them.