Lok Sabha passes three bills without discussion

The Lok Sabha today passed three bills in 15 minutes without any discussion as opposition members protested vociferously against price rise and carving out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.

The bills — to extend relief from sealing and demolition of unauthorised colonies in Delhi till December 2010; make all teachers eligible for gratuity; and rename National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme after Mahatma Gandhi — were passed amid din.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Bill that seeks to extend till December 31, 2010, the special provisions made in view of sealing of commercial premises in unauthorised colonies.

The previous bill was enacted in March 2009 and provided protection to encroachment or unauthorised development in various categories till December 2009.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee (Amendment) Bill seeks to rename the ambitious rural job scheme of the UPA after Mahatma Gandhi.

The government is understood to have decided to rename the scheme as it felt that the Congress was not getting credit for the measure.

The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill aims at amending definition of employee in the 1972 legislation for covering teachers in private institutions with retrospective effect from 1997.

The three bills were passed within minutes of being introduced by ministers S Jaipal Reddy (urban development), CP Joshi (rural development) and Mallikarjun Kharge (labour) respectively. The National Rural Employment Guarantee (Amendment) Bill
also seeks to make mandatory for states to pay Rs100 as the minimum wage to person enrolled under the scheme.

Officials said some states were paying less amount to people enrolled under the scheme.