The Hindu : `Consensus' on tribal panel bill

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 08, 2003

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National

`Consensus' on tribal panel bill

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Aug. 7. An uneasy truce was worked out between the Government and the Opposition this evening with both sides deciding that the important constitutional amendment bill to help set up a separate national tribal commission would be taken up as soon as the Lok Sabha meets tomorrow morning.

This decision was arrived at the Business Advisory Committee meeting chaired by the Speaker, Manohar Joshi. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress said they have issued a three-line whip asking their members to be present and vote in favour of the bill. A Congress leader said the party president, Sonia Gandhi, was very keen to ensure that the bill to create the commission for tribals is passed smoothly.

However, beyond that business there was no understanding at all on how to deal with the crisis resulting from the Public Accounts Committee's `no report' on the purchases related to the Kargil war. It seems all parties will be meeting ahead of start of Parliament tomorrow morning to draw up their strategies.

Certainly, the Opposition as well as the ruling parties are in an aggressive mood.

Next week is to start with two holidays. August 12 in `raksha bandhan' and the Shiv Sena suggested at the BAC today that August 11 be also declared a holiday, a suggestion quickly accepted by the Government.

The Government has been able to insist and get Opposition agreement for keeping the official legislative business on the agenda for August 13 and 18, private members' business on August 14, (Thursday) since August 15 (Friday) is a holiday.

The Opposition has demanded, and the Government has conceded, discussions on action taken by the Government on the Joint Parliamentary Committee's recommendations on the securities' scandal on August 19 and on unemployment on August 21.

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