"india: Talking Maps, Not Reforms" A Very Good Article

[George_Brahmi_III]

Look, this post is just to share the article which lets us know what is important. don't drag TG issue into here.





[size="4"]For the last two years, India’s Congress-led government been struggling to push important economic reforms through Parliament in the face of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party’s tactic of determinedly disrupting the proceedings to protest against alleged corruption and other misdeeds.[/size]
[size=1][size="4"]But with India’s economy faltering, and the rupee hovering near lifetime lows, it was hoped that the current monsoon session of Parliament might finally get down to important legislative business that could help restore investor confidence in India’s government, economy and currency. Fat chance.[/size][/size]
[size=1][size="4"]Instead, bitter debates over a potential redrawing of the internal political map of India appear to be trumping the economic reform agenda.[/size][/size]
[size=1][size="4"]On Monday, the first day of the new Parliamentary session was disrupted by furious politicians from the southern state of Andra Pradesh angrily protesting the Congress’ proposed split of the state into two, and a Parliamentarian from the Bodo tribal community demanding a separate Bodo state out of the tea-growing state of Assam.[/size][/size]
[size=1][size="4"]In the face of the disruptions, the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament was adjourned for the day at 3pm, after less than 4 hours of work and with no pending legislation even discussed. It was a precious day wasted. The upper house has managed to continue its sitting but debate focused on map-making rather than the economic agenda.[/size][/size]
[size=1][size="4"]It was an inauspicious start for a Parliament with sessions currently scheduled to last just 16 days. The Congress party has an ambitious goal of debating and ratifying no less than 44 bills.[/size][/size]
[size=1][size="4"]Among the crucial reforms awaiting Parliament’s approval are a long-pending land acquisition bill, which would create a pension industry regulator and allow foreign companies to own up to 49 per cent of firms managing pension assets in India; and an insurance bill that would raise the foreign equity limit in the insurance sector to 49 per cent, up from the current 26 per cent.[/size][/size]
[size=1][size="4"]India currently has a record 116 bills in various stages pending before Parliament, a reflection of what has been a situation of legislative gridlock. Going by Monday’s less than promising start, the jam isn’t likely to be cleared any time soon.[/size][/size]