NEW DELHI: Government is likely to table 62 bills for introduction and passage in the coming budget session of Parliament. These proposed legislations include Immigration and Foreigners Bill, Official Secrets Bill, PMLA Amendment Bill, Parliament (Prevention and Disqualification) Bill, Banking and Insurance Amendment Bills, Registration of Marriage of NRIs Bill and Higher Education Commission Bill.
As expected, Waqf Amendment and One National One Election bills are also set to be tabled during the session. The parliamentary affairs ministry has communicated about the proposed bills to be tabled as a part of govt’s legislative business to all ministries concerned so that they can take their proposed bills to cabinet for approval.
Sources said, the Immigration and Foreigners Bill is in the priority list of legislative business. The contours of the proposed bill are not available in public domain and would be known once cabinet approves it. At present, India has several laws that govern the entry, stay, and exit of foreigners, including the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, and the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939.
Similarly, govt has put the Registration Amendment Bill of 2013 of the rural development ministry and three bills pertaining to the shipping ministry on the priority list. The rural development ministry had proposed to make registration mandatory for all immovable property, regardless of the lease term, in the Registration Amendment Bill.
Though the details of the proposed amendment to the 94-year-old Official Secrets Act (OSA) is not yet made public, the home ministry, in 2017, had reviewed the provisions of the colonial-era law to make it compatible with the present democratic set-up. The law may be amended with a modern outlook but without compromising on national security.
TOI has learnt that govt is also eyeing amendments to the Corporate Laws Bill and Partnership Bill. There are also proposals to introduce the Delhi Rent Amendment Bill of 1997 and Delhi Rent Repeal Bill of 2013. Similarly, the proposed amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act, National Highway Act and Digital Vishwavidyalaya Bill are also in the list of 62 bills.