PM urges Parties to work together to change negative perception of people about politicians 

New Delhi, Nov 16:  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi yesterday urged all political parties to work together to change the negative perception of people about politicians. Addressing floor leaders of parties in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, ahead of Winter Session of Parliament beginning tomorrow, the Prime Minister noted “Parliament is the right forum to send out a positive message about Politicians by addressing the issues appropriately. Politicians are accused of several things and it was time we could send out a positive message to the people.”

Prime Minister, Shri Modi said that it was time the issues of state funding of elections and holding simultaneous elections in the country were discussed. Since all parties are concerned about the consequences of unaccounted money on the economy, let this issue be discussed in detail along with other issues of concern in the Winter Session of Parliament. Crediting all parties for GST legislation, the Prime Minister noted that by working together, several such good results can be achieved.

Expressing the hope that the Winter Session would also be productive as was the case with earlier session, Shri Modi noted that he had witnessed several positive suggestions emerging from both the opposition and the ruling benches during discussion on various issues in the Parliament and this needs to be continued.

Responding to observations of different leaders on the withdrawal of high value notes, Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley asserted that the Government was fully prepared before announcing the decision despite the strict requirement of secrecy to be maintained. He said, this latest decision was only a part of the larger strategy of the Government to tackle corruption and unaccounted money that started with the Government’s decision to setup a Special Investigation Team on unaccounted money right after the assumption of office by the Government. He also said that opening of bank accounts for a large number of people in the country was a central piece of the broad strategy to check-mate the flow of unaccounted money. Round tripping of monies through Mauritius, Cyprus and now Singapore was effectively checked. The Finance Minister said while currency accounts for only 4 percent of GDP across the world, it comes to 12 percent in India and that the Government is working for effective currency management.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananth Kumar, in his opening remarks said that the Government would be happy to discuss all important issues that the opposition seeks to raise within the stipulated mechanisms of both the Houses. Seeking cooperation of all parties, the Minister informed that the Government’s legislative agenda for the 22 sittings of Winter Session includes 25 Bills consisting of 4 Bills relating to Supplementary Demands for General and Railway Budgets.

The legislative agenda of the Government for the Winter Session beginning tomorrow is as follows –

1.             Bills for Introduction, Consideration and Passing
2.       The Central Goods & Service Tax Bill, 2016
3. The Integrated Goods & Service Tax Bill, 2016
4.  The Goods & Services Tax (Compensation for loss of revenue) Bill, 2016
5.  The Indian Institute of Management Bill, 2016
6.  The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016
7.  The Divorce (Amendment) Bill, 2016
8.  The Collection of Statistics (Amendment) Bill, 2016
9.  The Constitution Scheduled Tribes (Order) Amendment Bill, 2016 and
10. The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016

1.             Bills for Consideration and Passing

(A)  Bills Pending in Lok Sabha

1. The Mental Health Care Bill, 2016
2. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016
3. The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015 and
4. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016

(B)   Bills Pending in Rajya Sabha

1. The HIV & AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014
2. The Employees Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2016
3. The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2016
4. The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015
5. The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and
6. The Enemy Property (Amendment & Validation) Bill, 2016

III. Financial Business

1. Second Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2016-17
2. Supplementary Demands for Excess Grants (General) for 2013-14
3. Supplementary Demands for grants (Railways) for 2016-17 and
4. Demands for Excess Grants (Railways) for 2013-14

IV- Bills for Withdrawal

(A) Lok Sabha

1. The High Court (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016

(B) Rajya Sabha

1. The Participation of Workers in Management Bill, 1990.

Source: PIB