Narendra Modi Government May Take Up Bills UPA Failed To Pass

NEW DELHI: The incoming Narendra Modi government may well corner credit for key anti-corruption and pro-governance bills that UPA-II failed to pass despite a last minute bid to push the legislations through Parliament.

The Modi government will take a call on UPA-II’ s unfinished agenda with cabinet secretary Ajit Seth asking ministries to compile a list of ordinances, pending and lapsed bills that would put up before the new regime.

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The bills include anti-corruption and public service measures the Manmohan Singh government had, under Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s prodding, tried to legislate before dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.

In a communication to secretaries, Seth said "Ministers\departments may in all such cases take a view in the matter with the approval of the new minister-in-charge as soon as the new government is sworn in.”

Seth has advised ministries that they can frame "suitable proposals for consideration of the Cabinet after requisite inter-ministerial consultations” once it becomes clear that whether the bills are to be dropped, altered or retained.

BJP seems inclined to review the bills. "Some of the bills can be improved. Some of the acts that have been passed can be amended and some pending bills may not be priority any more,” a senior BJP leader said.

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The bills present an opportunity for the new government, as they have been framed by the Congress-led UPA and the former ruling party would ordinarily not oppose their passage. This should help NDA as it lacks numbers in the upper House.

Bills seeking to amend the prevention of corruption act, judicial appointments, right to services and introduction of auctions in mining contracts are among 60 pending and 68 lapsed bills.

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Secretaries have been asked to discuss the bills with new ministers at the earliest to get a view if they are to be pursued in their present form or changes are required to be carried out.

The note, brought out in the form of an office memorandum of the Cabinet Secretariat, also mentioned that a similar view will also need to be taken about Ordinances promulgated by President Pranab Mukherjee.

"These will now be required to be placed for consideration of the Cabinet”, said the note.



The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill and the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2013 were introduced in the Rajya Sabha by the UPA-II government.

The Bills, which are lapsed due to dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha, include the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, the mines and minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, the Electronic Delivery of Services Bill and the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill.