NEW DELHI: As two key reform bills on coal and mines got Parliament’s nod, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley attacked the Congress saying the politics of “obstructionism” led by the party has “failed”.
“It is an important day for Indian democracy, Parliament and Indian economy as the politics of obstructionism led by Congress failed today,” he said, adding that the strength of Indian democracy and better sense of the country’s lawmakers have prevailed.
Asked about the way ahead for the land bill, against which the opposition stands united, he said the government will take a view on it but there was no dejection.
“As far as the land bill is concerned, the government of India, the Council of Ministers will take a view on it,” he said.
“There is no dejection,” he said, when asked if he felt so as the land bill could not be passed in this part of the budget session.
“Government had four important bills, three of which have been passed in the first part of budget session, besides the budget. Many important discussions on issues also took place.
From government’s view, I consider this as a very successful session,” he said.
The Finance Minister said “the sole purpose of the opposition led by Congress was to create obstruction in government functioning and law-making process in Parliament.”
“But the strength of Indian democracy and better sense of the country’s lawmakers has prevailed,” he said, citing the reason for the passage of the mining bill and the coal block allocation law.
Jaitley said government has also introduced an important bill in Lok Sabha for taxing those possessing foreign assets illegally and filing criminal cases against them.
“I hope in the second part of the budget session, Parliament will hold a meaningful discussion on it,” he said.
Jaitley said henceforth neither minerals nor coal would be given to anyone through government’s hegemony and will be put to auction instead. Thus a transparent policy has been laid down where charges of corruption and hegemony will no longer crop up.
He said the auctions will also help bring hundreds of crores into the government treasury and the Centre will give all this money to the States where the minerals and coal have been mined.
“Its effect will be that the mineral and coal-bearing states, a majority of which are those that require economic progress and where tribal areas exist, their economies will benefit,” he said.
The Finance Minister added that industries in the country which need coal and minerals will also not see any shortage of these.
“The charges of corruption and hegemony that were raised earlier will no longer crop up as there will be computerized auctions and it will be a good system,” he said.-PTI
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