Govt likely to push for finance bill passage as Parliament comes to close

The smooth passage of the Finance Bill is important as the government proposed a slew of tax reliefs for individuals which come into effect with the passage of the Finance Bill

After the demand for grants was cleared in Parliament on Friday, the government is expected to push for the passage of the finance bill this week before it tables the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Nirmala Sitharaman

The government, officials familiar with the matter said, is hopeful of clearing the budget process in accordance with constitutional rules, before it gears up for a face-off with the opposition over amendments to the Waqf rules.

The Lok Sabha has listed “(Union finance minister) Nirmala Sitharaman [is set ] to move that the Bill to give effect to the financial proposals of the Central Government for the financial year 2025-2026 be taken into consideration” for Monday.

The smooth passage of the Finance Bill is important as the government proposed a slew of tax reliefs for individuals which come into effect with the passage of the Finance Bill.

In the Rajya Sabha, the government will try to clear the Banking Laws (amendment) bill.

With the second half of the Budget session scheduled to end on April 4, the government has seven more days to push the non-financial business that includes a host of bills, apart from the Waqf amendments.

Government managers also believe that it might face a stiff resistance from opposition parties over the Waqf amendments and the bill might need at least a couple of days to pass in this session. The Congress, Trinamool, Samajwadi Party and other Opposition outfits have already announced they will oppose the bill.