Rajya Sabha select panel may not give unanimous report

The select committee of Rajya Sabha, which is reviewing the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2016, is unlikely to give an unanimous report because the Congress’ stand has been against the government’s ordinance on it which will reflect in the committee.

The Centre has repromulgated an ordinance to amend the nearly 50-year-old Enemy Property Act to guard against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China after the wars.

The Centre had designated some properties belonging to nationals of Pakistan and China as “enemy properties” during the 1962, 1965 and 1971 conflicts.

It vested these properties in the “Custodian of Enemy Property for India”, an office instituted under the Central government.

The Enemy Property Act, 1968, regulates these enemy properties, and lists the powers of the custodian.

The first ordinance was promulgated on January 7 and a bill to replace the executive order was introduced in Parliament in the Budget Session. The Enemy property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016 has been passed by the Lok Sabha and from the Rajya Sabha, it was referred to a select committee, which is examining it.

The 23-member select committee is headed by Mr Bhupender Yadav. It met in the last two days and will be meeting on April 11 and 12, sources said.

Members of the Congress and its “like-minded parties” in the Rajya Sabha are opposing the Bill on the ground that the main aim of the government is to make revenue from properties by turning legal heirs into illegal occupants and trespassers overnight.