Adani, Manipur issue to rock winter session

NEW DELHI, Nov 24
Bribery charges against Gautam Adani and others are likely to cloud the winter session of Parliament starting on Monday as the Congress has pressed the demand for an immediate discussion on the issue. There is also demand for discussion on continuing Manipur violence and train accidents.
The session will commence form November 25 and is likely to continue till December 20, subject to exigencies of legislative business. There will also be a special event on November 26 marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan (the old Parliament building). There will be a total of 19 sittings.
The Government has listed 11 pending Bills for consideration and passing. Five new Bills have been listed for introduction, consideration and passing.
A Bill based on the Ram Nath Kovind committee report on “one Nation one election”, which the Union Cabinet has approved, does not feature in the Government’s list of business. Government sources have claimed that it could introduce the Bill during the session.
However, the Congress has expressed opposition to this Bill, insisting that the Prime Minister must build consensus across all parties in Parliament before moving forward with the proposal.
Emerging from the meeting, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said his party has urged the Government to allow a discussion on the Adani bribery scandal in the session. “It is a grave issue involving the country’s economic and security interests as over Rs 2,300 crore were allegedly paid by the company to politicians and bureaucrats to get favourable deal for its solar energy projects,” he said
Further, he added that his party wanted the issue to be taken up in Parliament as the first thing when it meets on Monday. Gautam Adani has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay $265 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts. The Congress, he said, also wanted a discussion on issues like severe air pollution in north India, the Manipur situation, which has gone “out of control”, and train accidents.
 The Hindu