The Communications Convergence Bill, calling for a common regulatory authority for Information Technology, communications and broadcasting, was introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday. After the bill was tabled the lower was adjourned sine die by the Speaker G M C Balayogi after a month-long monsoon session. Introduced by Communications Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on the last day of the monsoon session, the bill provides for setting up of a super-regulator -- Communication Commissions of India -- converging the existing regulatory authorities into the new entity.
The cabinet earlier this week had approved the legislation and consequential repeal of five laws, including Telegraph Act, cables law and Telecom Regulatory Act, which would be submerged in the convergence law. A record of sorts will be created in Parliament if government succeeds in passage of at least one more bill in Rajya Sabha on Friday - it would be the highest number of legislations passed in any monsoon session.
As many as 34 bills have already been passed during the session, the same number as cleared in the monsoon session of 1956, the highest since 1953, Parliament sources said. If all six bills slated for consideration in the upper house on Friday are cleared, the government can claim to have passed a record 39 legislations in any monsoon session.
Government does not anticipate any problems in passage of these bills in Rajya Sabha, sources said. Congress, the main opposition party expressed its satisfaction on the working of Parliament in the monsoon session.
However, the highest number of bills passed in any session of Parliament is 47 in the winter session of 1971, followed by 45 in the budget session of 1993, 43 in the budget session of 1984 and 42 in the winter session of 1956.
Bureau Report