Last day: passage of protection of children bill to be top priority

The government is likely to give priority to pass the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2012 and Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011 on Tuesday, the last day of the budget session. The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill and Chemical Weapons Convention (Amendment) Bill seems to have gone to the backburner as the government has shifted focus for Tuesday.

The government is likely to give priority to pass the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2012 and Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011 on Tuesday, the last day of the budget session. The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill and Chemical Weapons Convention (Amendment) Bill seems to have gone to the backburner as the government has shifted focus for Tuesday.

HT Image

The Motor Vehicles Bill - slated for passing on Monday - aimed to enhance penalties for different traffic violations and increase compensations for road accident victims. But the opposition raised red flag as it feels it is heavily tilted in favour of insurance companies. Even as finance minister Pranab Mukherjee tried to point out that the bill is a part of the government's overall agenda of reforms in the insurance sector, the bill is likely to pass during the monsoon session.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill seeks to criminalise sex, even if it is consensual, between individuals under 18. The government may also try to pass the Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Work Place Bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

While the opposition assured support to the government on the Chemical Weapons Convention (Amendment) Bill, it requested the government not to push it on Monday as senior BJP member and former defence minister Jaswant Singh was not in a position to participate in the debate.

The government, however, will introduce the much-awaited the Microfinance Bill that aims to regulate the sector and bring a cap on the interest on microfinance.