16 new bills listed in Monsoon Session of Parliament

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) At least 16 new bills are listed for introduction in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including to implement the GST in Jammu and Kashmir, and a bill to amend the Citizenship Act to allow certain illegal immigrants get Indian citizenship.

The bulletins of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha show there are 16 new bills that the government wants to introduce.

There are also 16 old bills which the government wants to pass in Rajya Sabha, and around nine old bills that have to be passed by the Lok Sabha.

The important bills likely to come up in the Monsoon Session are:

1. GST related bills: There are two bills listed for introduction and passing related to implementation of Goods and Services Tax in Jammu and Kashmir - The Central Goods and Services Tax (Extension to Jammu and Kashmir) Bill, 2017 and The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Extension to Jammu and Kashmir) Bill, 2017.

   Another bill, The Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to
   Chandigarh) Amendment Bill, 2017 will empower the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh to levy taxes on entertainments and amusements in light of GST.

2. The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017: It will replace an ordinance that enables the central government to empower RBI to issue directions for settling bad loan cases.

3. The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2017: The amendments proposed in the NIA Act, 2008 will include extra territorial jurisdiction for NIA investigation, simplification of appointment procedure of judges to preside over the NIA Special Courts, use of special techniques for investigation of scheduled offences.

4. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Amendment Bill, 2017: The amendments proposed include rectification of definition of 'Court' empowering the DG, NIA to forfeit a property representing proceeds of terrorism in cases of terrorism investigated by it, insertion of a new schedule to the UAPA for listing individual terrorist, insertion of new sub section to empower inspector of NIA to investigate offence under the UAPA etc.

5. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016: According to Lok Sabha bulletin the bill will be taken up in case report of a joint committee is tabled in the Lok Sabha. The Bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship.

6. The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013: It makes giving of a bribe an offence for individuals and commercial organizations, and enlarges the definition of taking a bribe, and deletes the provision that protects a bribe giver from prosecution, for any statement made by him during a corruption trial. The bill was sent to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha in December 2015, and report was tabled in August 2016.

7. The Indian Institute of Management Bill 2017: The bill seeks to provide the 20 existing IIMs independent statutory status with uniform governance structure and policy framework, and declare them as Institutes of National Importance. This will enable them to grant degrees to the students.

8. The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015: The bill is pending for being passed in Rajya Sabha. The Bill prohibits the reporting of a corruption related disclosure if it falls under any 10 categories of information which include information related to economic, scientific interests and the security of India; Cabinet proceedings, intellectual property; and information received in a fiduciary capacity.

9. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2017 - This bill will make way for certain constructions limited strictly to public works and projects essential to public in the ancient monuments and archaeological sites. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Remains Act, 1958 prohibits grant of any permission for new construction within the prohibited area of a centrally protected monument or site. Government has said it is adversely impacting various public works and developmental projects of the central government.

10. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017: The Bill amends the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to address issues such as third party insurance, regulation of taxi aggregators, and road safety.