The second phase of the Budget session of the Parliament started on Tuesday with the opposition parties getting ready to storm the House with a row of controversial topics and the government looking forward to clear a few crucial pending bills.
The Congress-led UPA government is apparently suffering from policy paralyses since the last Winter Session, as many important bills are lying unheard after the opposition parties agitated over various issues.
On Monday, the government said that it would take up three important bills related to reforms in finance sector i.e., the Pension Regulatory Bill, the Insurance Bill and the Banking Reforms Bill in the second half of the budget session.
Meanwhile, controversies related to Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhv, Army Chief VK Singh's bribery allegations, Demand for Telangana, Naxal issues etc are likely to hinder the smooth proceedings in the Parliament.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said that he had reached out to few of the politicians belonging to other political parties and sought their support for the smooth proceedings in the Parliament.
However, the fate of Lokpal Bill remains uncertain.
Lokpal is one of the contentious issues that has been bothering the UPA government for quite a while now.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the UPA leaders have promised the passage of an effective Lokpal bill during the second leg of the budget session, making Team Anna to hold their horses for a while.
After failing to find a solution in an all-party meeting last month, Manmohan Singh said that the Center would come out with a tweaked version of Lokpal bill.
The UPA government got Lokpal bill passed in Lok Sabha last year but it was vehemently struck down on the floor of Rajya Sabha by the opposition.
Speaking on Lokpal bill on Monday at a press meet in New Delhi, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said, "It will be an effective Lokpal Bill."
Kapil Sibal said, "happy to note that Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha has said he will support Insurance Reforms Bill."
Further he added that two important bills in connection to higher education including Central Education Reservation Bill will be considered during the session.
(With inputs from IBNS)
