Oppn forces amendments to Finance Bill in Rajya Sabha

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 29

The Opposition today inflicted a parliamentary wound on the BJP-led coalition government forcing five amendments to the Finance Bill as a protest against the move to draft provisions that it stated does not fall under the category of a Money Bill.

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Even though the Rajya Sabha does not have any power to legislate on a Money Bill, the amendments amplify the Opposition objection to anonymous political funding by corporate houses and granting powers to lower ranks of tax authorities among others.

The Opposition forced a recorded vote on the amendments — three moved by Digvijaya Singh (Congress) and two by Sitaram Yechury (CPM) — logging over 80 votes in favour under some 50-odd against it.

However, the ruling coalition is comfortable since it has the majority in the Lok Sabha which can now either accept or reject the amendments to the Finance Bill returned by the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling NDA is in minority. Once the Lok Sabha takes a view, the Bill would be treated as passed.

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The reply by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was often punctuated by pointed questions from members, including P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal, reminding of scene straight out of a courtroom. Jairam Ramesh and Yechury added to the intermittent interruptions from the Opposition.

While admitting that Aadhaar was a great initiative of the previous Manmohan Singh government, Jaitley said the Modi government decided to expand its application and strongly defended the government’s endeavour to make it compulsory for access to various benefits, to check frauds, including tax evasion.

Countering the Opposition concern over leakage of data, including through hacking, he said just because firewalls could be pierced it did not mean technology should be discredited, its use avoided and recourse be taken to manual practices. On the appointment of people from the judiciary to various tribunals, he said it will be taken as per existing practice of consultation with members of the Bench.

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Responding to concerns on political funding, the Finance Minister insisted that the electoral bonds concept would provide all parties the opportunity to raise funds in a transparent manner since the bond can be purchased from designated bank and all parties will have to operate one account details of which will be with the Election Commission.