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PM's all-party meet to seek consensus on crucial bills

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will convene an all-party meeting around May 15 for bringing about a consensus on certain important issues, including the passing of some important bills, to be taken up in this month's Budget session of Parliament.

Disclosing this, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana said the government plans to introduce and pass at least six bills -- pertaining to the Lok Pal, electoral reforms, women's reservation, delimitation of constituencies, Delhi statehood, formation of new states of Uttranchal, Vanachal and Chattisgarh.

The government will also introduce a bill on the creation of Upper Houses of legislatures in Assam, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu.

The Budget session of Parliament is scheduled to commence on May 27 with the presentation of the status paper on the railways. The economic survey will be released on May 28, followed by the Railway Budget on May 29 and general Budget on June 1. The session will continue till July 27, he added.

Addressing a public meeting at Ahmedabad at the weekend, Vajpayee said his government would make attempts to table a bill in the Budget session to bring about electoral reforms.

Advocating the need to cleanse politics, the prime minister said that democracy should not be allowed to deteriorate into dhanatantra nor should people be permitted to win a poll with the help of muscle power.

Vajpayee also stressed the need for a change in the Representation of People's Act, saying that party-hopping pollutes politics.

UNI

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