The Hindu : PM to make statement in LS today

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Monday, Jul 21, 2003

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PM to make statement in LS today

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 20. The Government has decided to begin tomorrow, the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament, a discussion on the progress of the implementation of the decade-old constitutional amendments dealing with Panchayats and Municipalities as institutions of self-governance.

Talking to presspersons here on Sunday, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, said that the discussion would be to review the progress of the 73rd/74th amendments carried out in 1993, and receive suggestions, if any, on how to improve them.

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, would make a suo motu statement on his recent three-nation tour of Russia, Germany and France and the `path-breaking' visit to China, Ms. Swaraj said. The statement would be made in the Lok Sabha tomorrow and in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Among the important bills the Government is keen on introducing are the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill, the Central Vigilance Commission Bill, the 94th Constitutional amendment bill for setting up a national commission for Scheduled Tribes by bifurcating the existing SC/ST Commission, a Bill to introduce open voting and doing away with the domicile clause for Rajya Sabha elections and the Lok Pal Bill. Some of these Bills have been passed in one House and are pending in the other. Sixteen new Bills, including one to set up a National Commission for Children and another to create a National Statistical Commission, are prposed to be introduced.

While the Opposition parties are clearly divided on the Women's Reservation Bill, the Government would await the word from the Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, before making any move, Ms. Swaraj said. Once Mr. Joshi indicated whether there was a consensus, a draft would be prepared.

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