The Real Estate Bill, which seeks to regulate realty business, is in for trouble in Rajya Sabha. It is listed in the Upper House for consideration on Tuesday and the main opposition party Congress has upped the ante.
Facing the number crunch in Rajya Sabha, the government was forced last Wednesday to defer the bill. The Opposition had insisted that the bill be referred to a Select Committee of Parliament.
Cornered by the Opposition, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu had then said that the bill should be deferred to allow the government time to have more consultations with parties.
Since then, the approach of Congress against the bill has become more aggressive.
On Saturday, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi met home buyers from the National Capital Region (NCR) and accused the government of working against middle class home-buyers by “diluting” the bill and making it “pro-builders”. Gandhi assured the representatives of flat owners that the Congress will fight for their rights both inside and outside Parliament.
The Congress has decided to bring out the “contrast” between UPA’s Real Estate Bill and NDA’s legislation on the lines of what it did in the case of Land Acquisition Bill.
The government, on its part, seems to be working to garner the support of some regional parties for passage of the bill. The government has been insisting that the bill is aimed to regulate and promote real estate sector and protect the interest of consumers.
However, a united Opposition in Rajya Sabha had not accepted Naidu’s arguments that the amendments proposed were based on suggestions of the Standing Committee.
The government has argued that the Standing Committee had representation from all political parties, and that it went ahead with amendments after “exhaustive consultations” with all stakeholders.
(With inputs from PTI)
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