Realty Bill sent to RS panel

New Delhi, May 6

A united Opposition today forced the government to send the controversial Real Estate Bill that seeks to regulate realty business, to a 21-member select committee of Rajya Sabha, which has been asked to submit its report by the first week of the monsoon session.

After trying twice in this session to take up the Bill for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha where it is not in a position to get it passed due to lack of numbers, the government today brought a motion to refer the 

Bill to select committee, chaired by BJP member Anil Madhav Dave.

Moving the motion, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the government had brought the Bill earlier in this session after taking the view of all stakeholders. However, amid lot of criticim the Bill was delayed even after the recommendations of the Standing Committee.

Noting that a larger number of members in Upper House, wanted that the Bill to be sent to 

Select Committee, Naidu said he has accepted the suggestions of his “honourable colleagues”.

The CPM had earlier proposed KN Balagopal’s name for the select committee. However, as he did not want to become a member, he was replaced by Ritabrata Banerjee.  — PTI