The Government plans to bring the OBC quota-in-education bill for consideration and get it passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday and follow it up with the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forests Rights) Bill, 2006.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister PR Dasmunsi hopes to clear much of the legislative business by this week, with the two Houses sitting up late if necessary to clear the business.
December 18 and 19 — the last two days of the ongoing winter session of Parliament — have been set aside for a debate on the Indo-US nuclear deal. A whip is being issued to the Congess MPs to be present in the House when the two Bills are being taken up, with instructions issued to them to be present in full strength during the debate on the nuclear deal.
While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is unlikely to intervene when the House discusses the nuclear issue, he will respond to the discussion on the XIth Plan.
The PM, who is leaving for Japan on Wednesday, will return on December 16.
With the session slated to close on December 19, the Government has ruled out a discussion on the Sachar committee report on the plight of Muslims.
Bills that have fallen by the wayside during this session include the contentious Women's reservation bill. At the UPA-Left meeting, RJD chief Lalu Yadav had taken the lead in seeking the introduction of the bill but less than 24 hours later, he had to lead his MPs to the chambers of Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee to seek an all party meeting for evolving a consensus — a move that was intended to scuttle the bill.
