Winter Session: Government to meet floor leaders of opposition parties today, 16 bills to be tabelled

Ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, the government will meet with floor leaders from various political parties today (November 24) to ensure smooth proceedings in the House, following the unexpected victories of the BJP and its rival alliance in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, respectively. 

The meeting has been organised by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Leaders from Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena, BJD and other parties are expected to participate in the discussions. 

The Winter Session will begin on November 25 and run until December 20. The government has scheduled 16 bills for consideration, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, while the opposition intends to raise issues such as the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur and the indictment of businessman Gautam Adani by a US court on bribery charges. 

Opposition leaders have expressed their intention to raise Adani’s indictment in Parliament with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi calling for a joint parliamentary committee investigation into the matter. 

The meeting is also likely to address an event on November 26 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, set to take place in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan (the old Parliament building). 

Among the bills scheduled for consideration is the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is expected to be debated and passed after the joint committee of both Houses submits its report to the Lok Sabha. The committee is due to present its findings on the final day of the first week of the Winter Session. 

Opposition members on the committee are seeking an extension to the report submission deadline, accusing committee chair Jagdambika Pal, a BJP MP, of pushing meetings forward too quickly. They have called for Speaker Om Birla’s intervention. 

Also listed for discussion is the First Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2024-25, which will be presented, discussed, and voted on. 

Other bills introduced by the government include the Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill, which proposes increasing the pecuniary appellate jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Additionally, the Merchant Shipping Bill aims to ensure compliance with India's obligations under international maritime treaties. The Coastal Shipping Bill and the Indian Ports Bill are also scheduled for introduction and passage. 

In total, eight bills, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, are pending in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha is currently holding two bills, while an additional bill, The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, passed by the Lok Sabha, is awaiting approval in the Upper House. 

Although a set of proposed bills for simultaneous elections in the country is not yet on the agenda, reports suggest the government may introduce such legislation during the current session. 

(With inputs from PTI)