Women's Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha next week

Women's Reservation Bill may be tabled in the Lok Sabha next week, but a final decision on it will be taken by the Business Advisory Committee which meets on Friday.

Law Minister M Veerappa Moily told reporters that the bill could be tabled on March 15 or 16. He expressed confidence that the bill that provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies would have a smooth sailing in the Lower House of Parliament too. The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha yesterday with overwhelming majority.Mr Moily said the government has some other agenda like the Finance bill and some legislations to replace ordinances that are needed to be taken up urgently.

Women's Reservation Bill has rocked both Houses of Parliament for third day today. In the Lok Sabha, the RJD, LJP, JDU and SP members demanded revocation of the suspension of the seven members from the Upper House. After repeated adjournments on the issue, the speaker Mrs Meira Kumar adjourned the House for the day.

Today in Rajya Sabha, RJD and SP members staged a walkout making a similar demand. The leader of Opposition in the House Mr Arun Jaitley and senior CPIM leader Mr Sitaram Yechury supported their demand of revoking the suspension orders. Some members from treasury benches insisted that the suspended members should tender an apology.

UPA allies SP and RJD today showed no no signs of withdrawing support to the government. They also made it clear that there are no plans to table any no-confidence motion.In a related development, the Congress today expressed hope that ally Trinamool Congress leader and Railway Minister Ms Mamta Banerjee will reconsider her stand on the Women's Reservation Bill.

Briefing Media persons in New Delhi, party spokesperson Manish Tewari said that Ms Banerjee is a respected woman leader of the nation and she should see the issue from a broader perspective. Describing the bill as a fulfillment of Congress's commitment towards empowerment of women, Mr Tewari thanked all opposition parties which supported the Bill.

BJP, on the other hand demanded introduction of the Bill in the Lok Sabha in the current session. Briefing reporters in New Delhi, the Party Leader Mr Gopi Nath Munde said that his party will urge the Lok Sabha Speaker not to use marshals in the house. On the same issue, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today admitted that sharp differences prevailed in the JD(U), but ruled out any crisis or split facing the party.Nitish to reporters in Patna, he said, Bihar is the first state which under the rule of NDA provided 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayati raj institutions and urban bodies. He said, with the experience of women running panchayati raj institutions and urban bodies effectively, he will never shy away from supporting a similar move by the Centre.

Asserting that he is not averse to ensure reservation for OBCs and other weaker sections of the society in the women's reservation bill, Mr Kumar said, this issue can be handled later after the adoption of the bill in the Lok Sabha.On JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav's reservation about the bill, the Chief Minister said, he has explained his position on the issue.

MSME positive role in GDP

Thursday March 11, 2010,New Delhi:Highlights of MSME in Budget:
MSME sector increased by 33.78 percent from Rs.1794 crore to Rs. 2400 crore.Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises' (MSMEs) share in Gross Domestic Product constantly on rise, said Dinsha J. Patel Minister of State Independent Charge for MSMEs, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.Patel said, "According to the last available data, the micro and small enterprise (MSE) sector shares 7.20 percent in the GDP in the year 2006-07." The MSME sector has acquired a prominent place in the growth of the economy of the country. This sector has continuously contributed significantly in the gross domestic product (GDP), industrial production, employment generation and export, he added.

According to the latest report of Prime minister's Task Force on MSMEs, the sector contributes 8 percent of the country's GDP, 45 percent of the manufactured output and 40 percent of its exports. The MSMEs provide employment to about 60 million persons through 26 million enterprises. The labor to capital ratio in MSMEs and overall growth in the MSME sector is much higher than the large industries. The geographical distribution of the MSMEs is also more even.

The share of micro and small enterprise (MSE) sector in the GDP of the country during, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 (latest available) is as per the table given below:Year Share of MSE sector in GDP (Percentage)2004-05 5.84%, 2005-06 5.83%
2006-07*7.20% *This includes medium enterprises in the sector after the enactment of micro, small and medium enterprise development (MSMED) Act, 2006.

Under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act (MSMED), 2006 the filing of Memorandum (Registration) by Entrepreneurs intending to establish a Micro, Small or Medium Enterprise is discretionary and not mandatory. As such, the number of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, functioning in the country as per Quick Results of 4th All India Census, in the registered and unregistered category are 15.52 lakh (5.94%) and 245.48 lakh (94.06%) respectively.

Highlights of Budget:

* Extension of existing interest subvention of 2 percent for one more year for exports covering handicrafts, carpets, handlooms and small and medium enterprises.
* High Level Council on Micro and Small Enterprises to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of High-Level Task Force constituted by Prime Minister.
* The corpus for Micro-Finance Development and Equity Fund doubled to Rs. 400 crore in 2010-11.
* National Social Security Fund for unorganized sector workers to be set up with an initial allocation of Rs. 1000 crore. This fund will support schemes for weavers, toddy tappers, rickshaw pullers, bidi workers etc.
* Limits for turnover over which accounts need to be audited enhanced to Rs. 60 lakh for businesses and to Rs. 15 lakh for professions.
* Limit of turnover for the purse of presumptive taxation of small businesses enhanced to Rs. 60 lakh.
* To facilitate the conversion of small companies into Limited Liability Partnerships, transfer of assets as a result of such conversion not to be subject to capital gains tax.
* To ease the cash flow position for small-scale manufacturers, they would be permitted to take full credit of Central Excise duty paid on capital goods in a single installment in the year of their receipt. Secondly, they would be permitted to pay Central Excise duty on a quarterly, rather than monthly basis.
* Reduction in central excise duty on corrugated boxes and cartons from 8 percent to 4 percent.
* Enhancement of weighted deduction on payments made to National Laboratories, research associations, colleges, universities and other institutions, for scientific research from 125 percent to 175 percent.