New Delhi: On Tuesday, two high profile draft laws are likely to come before Lok Sabha for its consideration and passing. It is the last working day of the Winter Session of Parliament.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to move The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the House. The Bill, first introduced in the Parliament in 2016 is being examined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. Now it has presented its reports in the Lok Sabha, on Monday. The Union Cabinet has cleared the fresh Citizenship Amendment Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Bill is already being opposed by Assam-based organisations and an 11-hour Assam and Northeast Bandh has been called by influential All Assam Students Union (AASU). Reports have said normal life has been paralysed in Brahmaputra Valley and at certain places. Bandh supporters also pelted stones at vehicles.
Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot is set to introduce the Constitution Amendment draft law that seeks to grant reservation to general castes people in the Lok Sabha. The Bill if given nod in the House of the People on Tuesday may go to Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Currently, there is no such reservation in the general category. "The reservation will be given to those economically backward poor people from general caste and it will not hamper the existing reservation norms meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and also OBCs," a source said.
The Bill is likely to define Economic Weaker Sections as citizens with annual income below Rs 8 lakh, Agriculture land below 5 hectare, Residential house below 1000 sq ft, residential plot measuring below 100 yards in notified municipality and residential plot measuring below 200 yards in a non-notified municipal area, informed the sources.