Demands for Grants and working of 8 Ministries still to be discussed ; Finance Bill to be taken up

7 Bills passed during first week of this session; 3 by Lok Sabha and 4 by Rajya Sabha

Discussion on Demands for Grants and working of identified ministries besides consideration and passing of the Appropriation and Finance Bill in respect of the General Budget for 2016-17 constitute the main agenda for the second week of the second Budget session of Parliament beginning Monday i.e May 2,2016.

In the Lok Sabha, discussion on Demand for Grants of the Ministry of Social Justice will resume before the same is voted upon. The Lower House is still to do the same in respect of the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation before Demands for Grants of other ministries are guillotined. Thereafter, the Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2016 and The Finance Bill,2016 will be taken up for consideration and passing.

Regarding other legislative business, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015 will be taken up in the Lok Sabha.

Rajya Sabha will discuss the working of Ministries of Health & Family Welfare, Human Resource Development, Finance, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and External Affairs besides considering and returning of the Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2016. Other legislative business likely to be taken up in the Upper House includes the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016 as passed by Lok Sabha and the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill, 2015, as passed by Lok Sabha .

During the first week of this session last week, a total of seven Bills were passed including 3 by Lok Sabha and 4 by Rajya Sabha.

The Bills passed by Lok Sabha were the Sikh Gurudwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016 the Regional Centre for Bio-technology Bill,2016 and the Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill,2016 The Lower House also discussed and voted upon the Demands for Grants of the Ministries of Development of North-Eastern Region and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Rajya Sabha passed last week the Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill,2015, The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill,2015, The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill,2016 and The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill,2015.

The Upper House also held a Short Duration Discussion on the situation arising out of drought and heat wave conditions and resultant water crisis and the remedial measures taken by the government besides taking up a Calling Attention Motion on the imposition of Central Excise Duty on gold jewelry.

Appropriation and Finance Bill scheduled for consideration and passage, alongside completion of Demands for Grants and ministry reviews. Parliamentary business prioritises completion of Demands for Grants and consideration and passage of the Appropriation (No.2) Bill and the Finance Bill, with the Lok Sabha resuming and concluding debates on specified ministry Demands for Grants before guillotine and taking up the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill; the Rajya Sabha will review the working of several ministries, consider and return the Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill and take up amendment Bills transmitted from the Lower House.