Post News Network
New Delhi, Jan 20: The coal ordinance issue is set to snowball into a major crisis for the Narendra Modi government.
As per the Supreme Court order, the Centre can auction 218 blocks after March 2015 and the companies will stop production after March 31 and the operation of the mines will go to Coal India Ltd (CIL). However, there is a catch here. As per the provisions of the constitution, the ordinance has to be replaced within six months or within six weeks of the commencement of the new session.
The budget session starts February 23. If the government fails to pass the coal ordinance before March 31, then, in the middle of the session, it cannot call a joint session. Coal India will start its operations and it will be big jolt for the government as it prepares to auction the coal blocks.
According to official sources, the government is taking no chance and planning to sine-die the budget session before March 15 and in between convene a joint session before March 31.
Usually, the budget session is held in two parts, one part till March 15 and after the two weeks of recesse the house reconvenes and general budget is passed after proper discussions.
The government mandarins are busy firefighting the impending crisis. The cabinet has approved six ordinances and all the ordinances have to be turned into bills and if it fails then ordinance has to be re-promulgated.
During the winter session, the government failed to pass the coal ordinance and the cabinet has to re-promulgate it.
