Winter session of Parliament: Govt plans to introduce 16 bills during 17 sittings; Rajya Sabha releases Code of Conduct for members

Winter Session of Parliament: The Congress will seek to corner the Modi government over a host of issues including the situation on the border with China.

Zee News file pic

New Delhi: Amid exit poll results on Monday, predicting a big majority for the BJP in Gujarat and a dead heat in Himachal Pradesh, where most pollsters gave an edge to the ruling party over the Congress, the BJP-led NDA government is ready to face the Winter session of Parliament beginning Wednesday. The Centre plans to introduce 16 bills during 17 sittings in the session, which is also likely to be the last session to be held in the existing Parliament House.

Among the 16 new bills, the government plans to introduce is one which seeks to increase accountability and reform the electoral process in multi-state cooperative societies. The National Dental Commission Bill, which seeks to set up a National Dental Commission and to repeal the Dentists Act, 1948, is also in the tentative session agenda of the government.

The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, another measure the Health Ministry plans to introduce, seeks to set up a National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) and to repeal the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947.

Delhi | All-party meeting is underway at the Parliament ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament which begins tomorrow.

Defence Minister and BJP MP Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, TMC MP Derek O'Brien and others attend the meeting pic.twitter.com/jY6RDwGIU8 — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2022

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin issued last week, the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, is being introduced with an objective of strengthening governance, enhancing transparency, increasing accountability and reforming electoral process in the multi-state cooperative societies by supplementing existing legislation and incorporating the provisions of 97th Constitution amendment. It also aims to improve monitoring mechanism and ensuring ease of doing business for multi-state cooperative societies.

The Cantonment Bill, 2022, is another draft law the government proposes to bring in the session which will conclude on December 29.The bill relates to the administration of cantonments with a view to impart greater democratisation, modernisation and efficiency. The bill seeks to achieve greater developmental objectives in alignment with municipalities across the country.The Bill also intends to facilitate 'ease of living' in cantonments.

Another bill in the list is the Old Grant (Regulation) Bill, 2022.The purpose of the bill is to regulate land given under Governor General Orders of 1836, 1827, 1838, 1849 and 1851, including their transfer, subdivision and change of purpose. It also seeks to delegate powers for better management of such land. It aims to enhance ease of living while ensuring effective protection of government rights over the land.

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. It also envisages to remove ambiguity in the applicability of the provisions of the Act, promote plantation in non-forest areas and conserve the forests.

The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022 seeks to revise the provisions of the principal Act to reduce the regulatory compliance burden to the stakeholders without diluting the core principles of environment protection in coastal areas. This bill proposes to decriminalise "the offence(s)" under the Act and to expand the scope of the law to bring all coastal aquaculture activities under its ambit. It also aims to remove difficulties and regulatory gaps in the Act for effective implementation and to facilitate ease of doing business.

Congress to corner govt on several issues including border row with China

The Congress, however, will seek to corner the government over a host of issues including the situation on the border with China. Outlining the issues that the Congress will raise, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh had last week said, the party would raise matters relating to the economic situation in the country, "weakening" of constitutional institutions and reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS).

"There is tension between India and China for the last 22 months and there has been no discussion in Parliament on the issue. The Congress would want that the issue be discussed in Parliament," PTI report quoted him as saying. 

Jairam Ramesh also said that if the government is ready for a discussion, the party would extend constructive support to it, adding "But our experience in the past has been that there is no discussion and the government wants their issues to be discussed only. But, this is not possible." Citing an old saying, he said, "The Opposition must have its say and the government will have its way."

The Congress will also raise the issue of high inflation and price rise, falling value of the rupee, falling exports and high Goods and Services Tax rates.
Out of the 17 bills that the government has listed for consideration in the session, the Congress said it is opposed to three bills -- the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, and the forest conservation amendment bill, 2022.

"We want these bills to be sent to standing committees. There is a need for more discussion on these bills and the Congress cannot support them in their current form," he had said. Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to attend the session in view of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Rajya Sabha releases Code of Conduct for members 

A day before the Winter Session of Parliament that is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has released a Code of Conduct for its members. According to the direction for the `Code of Conduct`, "The Proceedings of a Committee shall be treated as confidential and it shall not be permissible for a Member of the Committee or anyone who has access to its proceedings to communicate, directly or indirectly, to the media any information regarding its proceedings including its report or any conclusions arrived at, finally or tentatively, before the report has been presented to the House."

Members of the Upper House are expected to maintain high standards of morality, dignity, decency and values in public life as the Rajya Sabha has been a ground of confrontation between the treasury benches and the opposition, both in the last Winter Session as well as the Monsoon Session of 2021. 

As per the statement, the rules of procedure and the conduct of business list that the members of Rajya Sabha should "acknowledge their responsibility to maintain the public trust reposed in them and should work diligently to discharge their mandate for the common good of the people." 

According to a Rajya Sabha communication, "They must hold in high esteem the Constitution, the Law, Parliamentary Institutions and above all the general public. They should constantly strive to translate the ideals laid down in the Preamble to the Constitution into a reality. The following are the principles which they should abide by in their dealings." 

As per the rules and regulations, members must not do anything that brings disrepute to the Parliament and affects their credibility, and members must utilise their position as Members of Parliament to advance the general well-being of the people.

The RS communication further stated, "In their dealings, if Members find that there is a conflict between their personal interests and the public trust which they hold, they should resolve such a conflict in a manner that their private interests are subordinated to the duty of their public office," adding that members must utilise their position as Members of Parliament to advance general well-being of the people.Members should always see that their private financial interests and those of the members of their immediate family do not come in conflict with the public interest and if any such conflict ever arises, they should try to resolve such a conflict in a manner that the public interest is not jeopardised.

It also stated that members should never expect or accept any fee, remuneration or benefit for a vote given or not given by them on the floor of the House, for introducing a Bill, for moving a resolution or desisting from moving a resolution, putting a question or abstaining from asking a question or participating in the deliberations of the House or a Parliamentary Committee.

"Members should not take a gift which may interfere with the honest and impartial discharge of their official duties. They may, however, accept incidental gifts or inexpensive mementoes and customary hospitality. Members holding public offices should use public resources in such a manner as may lead to the public good. If members are in possession of confidential information owing to their being Members of Parliament or Members of Parliamentary Committees, they should not disclose such information for advancing their personal interests, as per the rules."

They have also been asked to desist from giving certificates to individuals and institutions of which they have no personal knowledge and are not based on facts, adding that should not lend ready support to any cause of which they have no or little knowledge.

Notably, the Budget session, the first session to be held in 2023, is likely to be held in the new Parliament building. The first session of the year begins with the address of the President to the members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The Winter session of Parliament will continue till December 29, having 17 sittings spread over 23 days.

(With PTI/ANI Inputs)