Government 'Extremely Determined' to Push Insurance Reforms in Parliament Today

New Delhi: The government will try today to push its big reform, the Insurance Bill, in the Rajya Sabha, where a united opposition has used its superior numbers for days to hold up proceedings as it attacks the government on a number of issues, most recently on religious conversions.

There are just two days left of this winter session and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made clear on Saturday that the government is "extremely determined" to push insurance reforms, which aim at increasing the cap on foreign direct investment in the sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent.

"The government is extremely determined to go ahead with this (insurance sector) reform and will not allow a parliamentary disturbance to obstruct or delay a reform of this kind," Mr Jaitley said while addressing a FICCI function in New Delhi.

Over the weekend, however, controversial comments on conversions made by senior leaders of the RSS, the ruling BJP's ideological mentor, have provided the opposition with fresh ammunition to bring with them to Parliament today.

Mr Jaitley regretted that though the Insurance Bill has been approved by a standing committee of Parliament and the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha or upper house, "political obstructionism is being used to ensure it does not come on the agenda of Parliament."

The Bill has been tabled in the Lok Sabha. The ruling BJP has no trouble passing legislation in the Lok Sabha where the national coalition it leads, the NDA, has a big majority after this year's Lok Sabha elections. In the Rajya Sabha, however, it is in a minority.  

The government, sources have said, is even considering the option of pushing the Insurance Bill through an Ordinance or executive order after the session if the logjam in the Rajya Sabha does not end. The winter session ends tomorrow.

On Friday, the Finance Minster had tabled the government's other big reform - a Bill to amend the constitution for the goods and services tax or GST. That bill will be debated and passed in the next session of Parliament, Mr Jaitley said.