Rajya Sabha to take up Mines and Minerals, Coal Bills today

An aggressive Opposition led by the Congress on Thursday forced deferment of consideration of the contentious Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015, in the Rajya Sabha till Friday, when the first half of the Budget Session breaks for a month. The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015, which was also scheduled to be taken up, was deferred as well.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned briefly four times in quick succession after members from Congress and the Left caused uproar arguing that mineral-bearing states had not been consulted.

The Congress and the Left demanded that the Bill be sent to the Select Committee again. After the adjournments, totalling 50 minutes, an agreement was reached between the Treasury and Opposition benches that the Bill will be taken up on Friday.

P. Rajeeve of CPI-M was trying to move a motion seeking resending of the Bill to the Select Committee on the ground that mineral-bearing states were not consulted and the spirit of democracy and federalism was not followed since mines and minerals are under state subject.

Leader of the House and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley noted that the Mines and Minerals Bill has not originated in the Rajya Sabha but only referred to it from the Lok Sabha after passage.

"Rajya Sabha has the wisdom to question Lok Sabha once and not twice." He also told Rajeeve that he was not referring to the right rule. "What you have done is that you have actually come out with a cocktail," he said.

'OBSTRUCTIONISM CAN CREATE ONLY SADISTIC THRILL'

>> Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday rejected the charge of being pro-corporate and underlined that India needs high growth

>> He was replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on Appropriation Bill 2015-16, which was later approved by a voice vote

>> He pleaded with the Opposition not to obstruct or delay the reform process in one way or the other

>> Jaitley said that obstructionism can have a sadistic thrill, but that can only be temporary

>> His appeal came at a time when key legislations like Land Acquisition Bill, Coal Bill and Mines and Minerals Bill are stuck in the House