Employment Bill may not be tabled this session

After the wait comes the disappointment. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, aimed at providing at least 100 days of work — t...

After the wait comes the disappointment. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, aimed at providing at least 100 days of work — to one able-bodied member of every rural household below poverty line — may not be introduced during this Parliament session.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said the Employment Guarantee Bill is not among the Bills slated to be introduced in Parliament in the session that ends December 23.

The coming week will witness ‘‘discussions on farmers’ problems in both Houses, and on Foreign affairs in the Rajya Sabha’’, Azad said. Azad said the Bills listed for introduction are Coastal Aquaculture Authority Bill, Hindu Succession Bill, Prevention of Child Marriage Bill, Railway Amendment Bill, University of Allahabad Bill and Right to Information Bill.

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Recently, Home Minister Shivraj Patil asked the Opposition in Rajya Sabha to wait for a few days for the Bill to be presented. The Bill — which was being put in place in great hurry — has been held up for reasons related to procedures.

It has to go to the President and then to the Ministry concerned before it can tabled in the House. However, PTI reported that Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said the Bill had already gone for approval of the President, and is likely to be introduced in the coming week.