New Delhi: The NDA government on Thursday appeared to have reconciled to accepting Congress’ demand that the big-ticket Insurance Bill be sent to Select Committee for further study with Opposition refusing to budge from their stand.
The government did not make any formal announcement in this regard but highly placed sources expressed their inability in getting the Bill through in the Rajya Sabha without the support of the Congress, which has 69 members, as the BJP and NDA’s strength was just around 60.
Sources said the Congress has proposed that the government itself move the House saying that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee which can study and given its suggestions in a time-bound manner after which the legislation can be tabled and passed in the Rajya Sabha.
However, the government has not yet taken any call on this suggestion, the sources said. “The ball is in Congress’ court now. They had asked for time and now we are waiting for them to respond. We are amenable for any amendments that they propose,” parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said.
