PRESS RELEASE

The Budget Session, 2004 of Parliament (Second Session of the Fourteenth Lok Sabha and the 202^nd Session of the Rajya Sabha) is scheduled to commence on Monday, the 5^th of July, 2004 and subject to exigencies of Government Business, the session will conclude on Friday, the 3^rd of September, 2004. During this period, the two Houses will adjourn for recess for a period of 3 weeks on Friday, the 23^rd of July, 2004 to reassemble on Monday, the 16^th of August, 2004. The session will provide a total of 30 sittings – 15 sittings during first part of the session before recess and 15 sittings during second part of the session.

The session will mainly be devoted to the financial business relating to Railway and General Budgets for 2004-2005. However, essential legislative and non-legislative business will also be taken up during the session.

The Railway Budget for 2004-2005 will be presented immediately after Question Hour on Tuesday, the 6^th of July, 2004 and the General Budget for 2004-2005 will be presented at 11.00 a.m. on Thursday, the 8^th of July, 2004.

To finalise the Government Business for the Budget Session, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development took a meeting with Secretaries/senior Officers of the concerned Ministries/Departments on 28.06.2004 in Parliament House. During the meeting, apart from financial and non-legislative business (Annex –I), 38 Bills were identified for being taken up during the Budget Session. A list containing the title and purport of these 38 Bills which include 10 Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha and 28 new Bills is at Annex II.

Annex –I

FINANCIAL BUSINESS

1. General Discussion on the Railway Budget for 2004-2005.

2. General Discussion on the General Budget for 2004-2005.

3. Discussion and Voting and introduction, consideration and passing of the appropriation Bills, relating to following demands:-

(a) Demands for Grants on Account (Railways) for 2004-2005.

(b) Demands for Grants (Railways) for 2004-2005.

(d) Demands for Excess Grants (General) for 2001-02.

(e) Demands for Grants (General) for 2004-2005.

NON-LEGISLATIVE

1. Discussion and adoption of resolution to be moved by Minister of Railways for constitution of a new Railway Convention Committee (Fourteenth Lok Sabha) for determination of ‘Rate of dividend payable by the Railways to the General Revenues and other ancillary matters’.

2. Discussion on resolution seeking approval to the rejection of awards of the Board of Arbitration in C.A. Reference No.8 of 1993 and 9 of 1993 regarding JCM Award of Grant of Special Pay to Income Tax Inspectors.

3. Discussion on Tenth Five Year Plan, 2002-2007

4. Discussion on the National Plan of Action for Children, 2003.

Annex –II

BILLS LIKELY TO BE TAKEN UP DURING BUDGET SESSION, 2004

(i)- Bills Pending in Rajya Sabha

S.No.	Name of the Bill	Purport
1.	The Constitution (Seventy-Ninth) Amendment Bill, 1992	To promote population control and the small family norm and to include in the Fundamental Duties, a duty to promote and adopt the small family norm.
2.	The Aquaculture Authority Bill, 2000	To provide for the establishment of an Aquaculture Authority to regulate aquaculture activities in coastal areas.
3.	The Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2001	To enable imposition of safeguard measures where surge in imports leads to threaten to injure domestic industry and also include definition of developing country.
4.	The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2002	To broaden coverage of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, strengthening of penal provisions, etc.
5.	The Delegated Legislation (Provision Amendment) Bill, 2003	To amend certain enactments to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation with regard to publication and laying of Rules & Regulation and other Delegated Legislations.
6.	The Cantonment Bill, 2003	The Bill purports to improve functioning of Cantonments.
7.	The Arbitration and Conciliation Bill, 2003	To amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
8.	The Chartered Accountants (Amendment) Bill, 2003	A Bill to update the existing Act.
9.	The Cost and Works Accountants (Amendment) Bill, 2003	A Bill to update the existing Act.
10.	The Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2003	A Bill to update the existing Act.

(ii) - New Bills

S.No.	Name of the Bill	Purport
1.	The Seeds Bill, 2004	To provide for regulating the quality of seeds for sale, import and export and to facilitate production and supply of quality seeds and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
2.	The Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2004	To include any goods delivered into or from any Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which also includes inter unit transfer of goods amongst SEZs as ‘export’ and ‘import’ respectively, to bring in a tighter export control and improve the systems of levying and realizing fiscal penalties.
3.	The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To provide enabling provision to undertake export, promotion and development of certain additional agricultural products and providing for collection of fees on the export of such products and validate with retrospective effect, the existing Basmati Development Fund and the collection of fee/contribution made thereon.
4.	The Special Economic Zones Bill, 2004	To provide for a long terms and stable policy frame-work for Special Economic Zones.
5.	The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To place the amending section, through which the amendment to the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 was carried out, in the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution.
6.	The Sugar Cess (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To increase the rate of Cess on Sugar from Rs.14 per qtl. to Rs.20 per qtl.
7.	The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To remove the restriction on voting rights to encourage the foreign banks to set up subsidiaries and to attract foreign investment.
8.	The Actuaries Bill, 2004	To establish a statutory Institute of Actuaries of India to regulate and develop the profession of actuaries.
9.	The Government Securities Bill, 2004	Enactment of a new Government Securities Act.
10.	The Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Bill, 2004	To facilitate setting up of the Credit Information Companies for collection, sharing and dissemination of credit information to help in improving credit appraisal and subsequently, reducing Non-performing Loans.
11.	The Securities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To implement, inter-alia, the proposal of demutualisation of stock exchanges of the Government and enhancing penal provisions to protect investors’ interests.
12.	The Central Excise Tariff (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To align the Central Excise Tariff with the Customs Tariff and to introduce 8-digit classification code in place of existing 6-digit classification and to enable the Central Government to amend the First & Second Schedules to the Central Excise Tariff by notification.
13.	The Customs and Central Excise Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2004	To repeal 4 old/obsolete Acts as recommended by P.C. Jain Commission.
14.	The Finance (No.2) Bill, 2004	To give effects to the Government proposals regarding taxes.
15.	The Central Pharmacy Council for Indian Medicines and Homoeopathy Bill, 2004	To constitute a statutory Council to regulate the education and practice of Pharmacy in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
16.	The State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Bill, 2004	To prevent misuse of the State Emblem of India by unauthorized persons and regulate its use for official purposes.
17.	The Displaced Persons Claims and Other Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2004	To repeal the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954 and other related Acts to put an end to unscrupulous claimants succeeding in getting Government lands allotted in their favour on the basis of fraudulent and bogus claims.
18.	The Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2004	The Constitution (86^th Amendment) Act, 2002 made Elementary education a Fundamental Right for children in the age group of 6-14 years. The proposed Bill is follow-up legislation with detailed mechanism to implement the above Act.
19.	The University of Allahabad Bill, 2004	To ensure accelerated development of the famous University of Allahabad and restore the Central University status to the University.
20.	The National Commission for Children Bill, 2004	To set up a National Commission for Children to safeguard the rights of the Children under existing laws.
21.	The Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To set up the Central Manpower Export Promotion Council and to constitute the Indian Overseas Workers’ Welfare Fund.
22.	The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To provide flexibility in the matter of employment of women during night shift in a factory.
23.	The National Tax Tribunal Bill, 2004	For setting up of a National Tax Tribunal
24.	The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To amend sections 10 and 123(7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 so as to bring more categories of persons under the ambit of these provisions.
25.	The Contempt of Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To amend the Contempt of Courts Act 1971 to provide truth as defence against contempt’s of Courts.
26.	The Lokpal Bill, 2004	To provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against public functionaries and for matters connected therewith.
27.	The Administrative Tribunals (Amendment) Bill, 2004.	To amend the Act to conform it to the various pronouncements of the Apex Court and to provide a provision for abolition of the Administrative Tribunals, if and when, considered appropriate.
28.	The Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2004	To apportion additional cess of Re.0.50 per litre levied on petrol and diesel under the Finance Bill, 2003 between Rural Roads and National Highways only.

FINANCIAL BUSINESS

NON-LEGISLATIVE

Annex –II

Purport