The general insurance business (amendment) bill, the insurance laws (transfer of business and emergency provisions) bill, the cigarettes and tobacco products (prohibition of advertisemnt) bill, the taxation laws (amendment) bill, the electricity regulatory commission (amendment) bill and the foreign trade (development and regulation) bill are among the 36 legislative bills which top the agenda of the parliament. The government is, however, unsure of passing the much-awaited fiscal responsibility bill as the bill is still with the standing committee of the Parliament. The bill was introduced in the winter session.

A decision to introduce these bills was taken at a meeting Parliamentary Affairs and IT Minister Pramod Mahajan had with secretaries and senior officials of various government departments here on Monday.

Announcing formally that the Railway Budget and the general Budget would be presented on February 26 and 28 respectively, Mr Mahajan told newspersons after the meeting that the government will try to introduce the long-awaited convergence bill during the Budget session. ``We would like to introduce the bill in the Budget session, but it might be sent to the standing committittee of the Parliament,'' he said.

A large number of important economic bills, including the finance companies regulation bill, the banking companies (aquisition and transfer of undertaking bill) are already before the respective standing committees of the Parliament. The meeting was not sure which of these bills could come to the Parliament after the standing committee's scrutiny. The finance ministry, it is learnt, is making efforts to see that the fiscal responsibility bill is through in the Budget session.

Mr Mahajan said while the government would give primacy to the clearance of important financial business, including demands for grants on account (general) for 2001-02, supplementary demands for grants (general) for 2000-01 and demands for grants for the year 2001-02, it will also try to include other important bills like aquaculture authority bill, the consumer protection (amendment) bill, the central sales tax (amendment) bill, the companies amendment bill and the control of national highways (land and traffic) bill.

Stressing that the government would like to clear the controversial lok pal bill, the parliamentary affairs minister said the bills relating to women, including the reservation bill, will also be given top priority.

Among the identified economic bills slated for passage in the Budget session are: protection of plant varieties and farmers' rights bill, the agricultural and processed food products export development authority (amendment) bill, the UP sugarcane cess (validation) repeal bill, the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (amendment) bill, the chit funds (amendment) bill, the cigarettes and other tobacco products (prohibition of advertisment and regulation of trade and commerce, projects supply and distribution) bill, the trade unions amendment bill, the industrial disputes (banking companies) decision bill, the energy conservation bill and the motor vaehicles (amendment) bill.