Eye on reform, house session moved to Aug

The government is likely to push back the monsoon session of Parliament from its July routine to around August 8, top sources indicated on Wednesday, as floor managers want to use the time to negotiate with the opposition over long-pending economic reform bills, the food security ordinance and the land acquisition bill. HT reports.

The government is likely to push back the monsoon session of Parliament from its July routine to around August 8, top sources indicated on Wednesday, as floor managers want to use the time to negotiate with the opposition over long-pending economic reform bills, the food security ordinance and the land acquisition bill.

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Sources told HT that negotiations are on with some key opposition parties to pass the insurance bill and the pension fund bill during the session. The government has not been able to pass any key reform bills over the past two years.

The insurance bill aims to hike the FDI cap from 26% to 49%, while the pension fund bill aims to open doors to FDI in the pension sector. But both these bills are facing resistance.

Government managers added that the monsoon session had started in August in 2012 too. But the opposition pointed out that it was delayed last year because of the presidential poll.