(FE)
The second part of Parliament’s Budget Session is likely to begin on a stormy note with the Congress and other opposition parties set to raise the issue of multi-crore financial scams involving public-sector banks in both the Houses. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet today after a month-long recess in the session. Opposition parties would seek answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other banking scams took place under his watch and how the government failed to stop them. The government, on its part, is seeking to counter the opposition’s offensive by bringing the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill.
The legislation, once passed, will grant powers to the government to attach assets of persons declared fugitive. This will include benami assets too. While the opposition has not planned any joint strategy so far, it is likely to meet in a day or two to chalk out a plan for the Parliament session. Sources said that while the financial sector and banking scams would dominate the proceedings in both Houses, issues related to crime against Dalits and women, farmers, the economy and unemployment would also be raised by the opposition benches.
