The discussion in the Cabinet took place on Monday when the ordinance to auction iron ore and other minerals was taken. The Cabinet had in an earlier decision cleared the ordinance to auction coal blocks cancelled by the Supreme Court.
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Sources said parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu expressed the view that waiting for Parliament to meet might be a better option than promulgating ordinances. He is understood to have felt a delay in legislating need not be an impediment and the parliamentary route should be preferred.
Naidu is understood to have made the remark in the context of the NDA government issuing several ordinances after the end of the winter session of Parliament.
The minister's remarks are believed to have set off a brief discussion with some ministers feeling that the government's options were limited in the context of the numerical equation in Rajya Sabha.
While the opposition has criticized the government for side-stepping Parliament and some commentators have said ordinances violate the spirit of democracy, others feel the Centre has signaled its intent on key reforms.
At the Cabinet meeting, the ordinance steered by the mines ministry under Narendra Tomar, sought to open iron ore and other non-coal mines. Allocation of mines was being held up as the relevant bill could not be taken up during the winter session.
With mining still in doldrums, barely registering a positive growth, the ordinance was considered necessary and it was felt that the measure along with the earlier decision on cancelled coal mines was an important assurance for investors.
Sources said that while Naidu raised the matter quite vigorously, the discussion was more an exchange of views than a showdown and arguments put forward did not seem intended to oppose the government policy.
The discussion ended with the Prime Minister noting that the ordinance under discussion be approved and the matter was deemed to be closed.
The eight ordinances issued by the Modi government will have to be ratified when Parliament meets for the budget session in the second half of February and parliamentary affairs minister Naidu will be involved in the floor management.
Government managers argue that the opposition unity that led to the coal and insurance bills being blocked in Rajya Sabha was due to the "ghar wapsi" controversy and need not recur during the budget session.
As Hindutva issues bring the opposition together, the government has some time to cool tempers. As the pleasant vibes between finance minister Arun Jaitley and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee suggest, common ground can be reached.
At the same time, the government seems prepared to use the joint session option to leverage its numbers in Lok Sabha if the Upper House proves to be a hurdle.
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