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| Govt to use price rise to keep Indo-Pak talks off from MPs squabbling | | |
ABID SHAH
NEW DELHI, FEB 21: A day before the commencement of the Budget Session of Parliament the Government has indicated its willingness to have a discussion on price rise as demanded by the Opposition, including Left parties besides the BJP.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal indicated here today that the Business Advisory Committee slated to meet tomorrow – Monday – could well decide the exact time for the discussions on price rise.
And if the committee decided to hold this immediately after the address by President to the joint sitting of members of both the Houses, the discussion sought by the Opposition could well take place before the motion of thanks to the President’s address was taken up by the members.
As per this indication coming from the Minister after yesterday’s all party meeting called by Speaker Meira Kumar, the Government is clearly trying to put its point of view on price rise without getting into a confrontation with the Opposition.
The Government strategy on price rise has been to shift blame on States for allowing a high price regime by lowering enforcement of laws related to the supply of essential commodities. Moreover, the Government appears to be unfazed since the Ministry of Agriculture and Food has been in the hands of Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar who though a constituent of the UPA is an ally in the Congress-led Government.
In any case even if this turns out to be a battle between Pawar and Opposition or between UPA and BJP there are going to be other issues that Parliament might well take up in subsequent days through the Session which would see the presentation of Rail Budget on February 24 and Union Budget on February 26.
Significantly, the meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan falls in between the two crucial Budget days through which MPs are bound to be preoccupied. And the Government strategy appears to be to confine Opposition to the issue of price rise and keep peace with the Opposition on Indo-Pak talks’ front at least until visiting Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir flies back to Islamabad.
During his visit for February 25 talks not only the MPs but also media is likely to be focused on General Budget. The talks may not exactly miss the limelight, but it could well escape a serious look by both parliamentarians and media pundits because of the Budget. On the day of the talks the Economic Survey would be presented before the House.
Immediately, after the Union Budget is presented in Parliament an extended weekend would follow because of Id-un-Milad-un-Nabi and Holi that fall on February 27 and 28 respectively. The last of them could push the holiday mood a little beyond the actual holidays for MPs when the session recommences on or after March 1.
The recess during the longest Session would begin from March 16 and end on April 12. And the Budget Session would finally end on May 7 after resuming post recess for its last phase.
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