Does govt have political muster to pass Land, GST Bills?

Short of numbers in the Rajya Sabha, but determined to pass key bills, the government may go ahead with a proposal to send the GST Bill to a Select Panel and Land Bill to a joint panel of 30 Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members. The Joint Panel will submit its report on the Land Bill in the monsoon session.

While a time schedule can be provided in the motion itself when the GST Bill is referred to the Select Panel, the possibility of a break down of both the houses due to the Amendments suggested by the panel is likely, ultimately leading to a protracted delay, says constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap.

Since the GST is a constitutional amendment bill, the government cannot call for a joint session of the Parliament to pass the bill, he says.

But on the Land Bill, if the Rajya Sabha is unable to pass it in six months, the government can call for a joint session, he adds. According to him, political management will be key to passing the Bill.