The Congress and the government have also locked horns over CAMPA bill in the Rajya Sabha
Highlights
- The Congress and the centre have locked horns over CAMPA bill
- The bill proposes to create a fund for afforestation schemes
- The Congress want some changes in CAMPA bill
While mega reform GST grabs the headlines, the Congress and the government have locked horns over another bill pushing it to a battle of numbers in the Rajya Sabha or upper house of Parliament.
The Congress, which is the single largest party in the house, is trying to get the support of regional parties on changes it wants in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority or CAMPA bill, already passed by the Lok Sabha.
The CAMPA bill proposes to create a fund for afforestation schemes to make up for loss of forest cover and to ensure protection of wildlife.
The Congress had initially insisted that the bill passed by the Lok Sabha be sent to a parliamentary panel for review, but has now scaled down its demand to some changes in it.
These will be listed in an amendment bill that the Congress' Jairam Ramesh, a former environment minister, will move when the bill is brought.
Mr Ramesh told NDTV that the Congress with its 60 MPs in the 243-member house has the support of the Janata Dal-United's 10 lawmakers, the Left's nine and the DMK's four. To push its amendment, it will need the support of 39 more lawmakers and hopes to rope at least two of three large parties that rule states - the AIADMK with 13, Trinamool Congress with 12 and the Samajwadi Party with 19 MPs.
On Monday, those plans received a setback when the Samajwadi Party, which rules Uttar Pradesh, said it would support the CAMPA bill. "It will bring Rs 42,000 crore to the states if passed, so we will support the bill and oppose amendments," said the party's Ram Gopal Yadav.
The AIADMK and the Trinamool have so far not revealed their stand and are being courted by both sides. But the government has an edge as they need the funds to counter criticism back home by environmentalists that forest cover is being lost to infrastructure development.
"By blocking the CAMPA bill, the Congress is committing a sin. If the bill is passed state governments will get a lot of money to rebuild forests," said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, junior parliamentary affairs minister.