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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000352 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DRL, DS/IP/SCA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2020 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KWMN IN
SUBJECT: STORMY, AS USUAL: BUDGET SESSION IN PARLIAMENT 
 
REF: A. 2010 NEWDELHI 321 
     ¶B. 2010 NEW DELHI 262 
     ¶C. 2010 NEW DELHI 189 
     ¶D. 2009 NEW DELHI 2545 
     ¶E. 2009 NEW DELHI 1295 
     ¶F. 2009 NEW DELHI 1319 
     ¶G. 2009 NEW DELHI 1163 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Uzra Zeya for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: The budget session of the Indian Parliament 
began on Monday with a speech by President Patil before 
Parliament laying out out a broad GoI agenda for this year. 
The GoI would like this session to focus budget priorities 
such as food security, education, inclusive growth and 
women,s rights.  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led 
opposition, however, wants to steer the spotlight on the 
GOI's decision to resume talks with Pakistan and its 
inability to curb the rocketing price of food staples.  The 
opposition has already forced two adjournments over the 
inflation issue.  The GoI will present the fiscal year 2011 
budget to Parliament this week.  The Lok Sabha's official 
agenda focuses on 92 new and old bills, including the Civil 
Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill (civil nuclear liability 
legislation). Inclusion of a bill on the official agenda does 
not guarantee that it will be introduced or passed during 
this session of Parliament.  END SUMMARY 
 
Let's Begin!  Let's Adjourn! 
---- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Indian Parliament kicked off its budget session 
on February 22.  This session adjourns for recess on March 
16th and will resume again on April 12, until it closes on 
May 7.  The session began with President Patil addressing a 
joint session of Parliament on the government's agenda, 
followed by an adjournment due to spirited protests from the 
opposition.  Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will present 
the Railway budget on February 24.  Finance Minister Pranab 
Mukherjee will present the GOI fiscal year 2011 budget to 
Parliament on February 26.  Following their presentations, 
the session will focus on debating the President's speech and 
policy agenda with votes on additional bills, if time 
permits.  The government must pass one part of the finance 
bill by March 31st in order to ensure ongoing government 
funds for the new fiscal year.  Once the recess begins on 
March 16th, the remaining budget and spending bills will go 
to Parliamentary standing committees for consultation. 
Debates on the budget will resume on April 12.  The Indian 
constitution mandates that the entire budget must be passed 
before the conclusion of this session.  As of the second day 
of legislative business, the Lok Sabha (Lower house of 
Parliament) and Rajya Sabha (Upper house of Parliament) have 
already seen two adjournments on the issue of rampant 
inflation in food staples (Ref B). 
 
Not Just Budgets 
---- 
 
¶3.   (U)  President Patil's speech laid out the UPA 
government's recent achievements and legislative targets, 
which focused on food security, internal security, economic 
growth, infrastructure development, governance, and higher 
education, with a strong push for passage of the Women's 
Reservation Bill (Ref F) during this session.  The Lok 
Sabha's official agenda focuses on 65 new bills, including 
the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill (civ-nuclear 
liability legislation). 
 
Civil Nuclear Liabilities Legislation 
---- 
 
¶4.  (C) The previous session of the Lok Sabha adjourned on 
December 18 without taking up civil nuclear liability 
 
NEW DELHI 00000352  002 OF 003 
 
 
legislation, despite assurances from senior officials that 
the government would do so.  The Embassy saw no signs of the 
UPA government making the case for the liability legislation 
within their own party or with the opposition.  Senior 
officials, including National Security Advisor Menon, have 
underscored that passing the legislation in the current 
budget session of Parliament is a top priority, and the law 
is included as second on the list of 65 new bills under 
consideration. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Unlike the previous session, Embassy contacts and 
media report that the UPA government has reached out this 
session to the leading opposition Bharatiya Janata Party 
(BJP) to seek support for civil nuclear liability 
legislation.  While the UPA government has enough votes in 
the lower house, it only holds 91 seats in the upper house. 
Since UPA needs 123 votes for a simple majority in the upper 
house, it must build consensus and reach across the aisle for 
support on this measure.  Post will continue to monitor the 
legislation,s prospects and progress. 
 
 
Adjournments over Food Inflation 
---- 
¶6.  (U) The rise in price of food staples continues to cause 
trouble for the UPA administration.  Referring back to the 
UPA administration,s pro-poor campaign promises, the BJP and 
other opposition parties held the central government 
responsible for increasing the misery of the &aam aadmi" 
(common man) by allowing high food prices to rise (Ref C). 
 
Alliance Politics 
---- 
 
¶7.  (U) Prior to the budget session of Parliament, the UPA 
coalition,s dominant Congress party tried to pin the blame 
for price increases on its UPA-ally Nationalist Congress 
Party (NCP) chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. 
There have also been heavily publicized reports of an 
emotional spat between coalition partner Trinamool Congress 
leader and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Finance 
Minister Mukherjee over financing of new projects in West 
Bengal.  West Bengal goes to assembly polls in spring 2011, 
pitting former Congress ally, the Left Front, against its 
current ally, the Trinamool Congress. 
 
Indo-Pak Talks, Internal Security To Feature In This Session 
---- 
 
¶8.  (U) Given the February 13 bomb blasts in Pune, the 
opposition has challenged PM Singh,s decision to pursue 
talks with Pakistan at the Foreign Secretary level.  The 
newly remodeled BJP is also likely to needle the government 
on its efforts to curb Naxal violence, although this may turn 
out to be a winning issue for the UPA with the GOI showing 
new resolve in confronting the insurgency. 
 
The BJP: Implosion Be Gone! 
---- 
 
¶9.  (U)  The BJP appears to be in fighting shape this 
parliament session.  Newly elected BJP president, Nitin 
Gadkari, has spearheaded party leadership reorganization and 
made overtures to Dalits and Muslims during its recent 
national meeting in Indore (SepTel).  The BJP's votes and 
support in the Rajya Sabha are critical on several key pieces 
of legislation, including the UPA's hallmark Women's 
Reservation Bill. 
 
Women's Reservation Bill ) Back on the Agenda? 
---- 
 
¶10.  (U)  President Patil,s speech stressed the GOI's desire 
to revisit the Women's Reservation Bill, which is currently 
 
NEW DELHI 00000352  003 OF 003 
 
 
being debated in committee.  This legislation was first 
introduced in 1996, but regional parties scuttled it several 
times, fearing it would hurt smaller parties and benefit only 
elite, urban women.  The proposed bill would set aside 
one-third of the elected seats in the Lok Sabha and in state 
legislatures for women. If the bill passes, India would be 
the only country in the world to reserve such a large 
percentage of seats in its legislature for women.  The bill 
requires a constitutional amendment and a two-third majority 
in both houses to become law.  This means the UPA government 
would need 364 votes in the Lok Sabha.  Although the bill 
enjoys broad support from the major national parties, 
including the Congress Party, the BJP, and the Left, it has 
met strong opposition from the leaders of regional, 
caste-based parties in northern states such as Uttar Pradesh 
and Bihar.  These regional parties want the bill to include 
"a quota within a quota" for Other Backward Caste (OBC) and 
Muslim women.  The UPA government had announced it will hold 
consultations with all political parties to address their 
concerns.  President Patil exhorted all the political parties 
to focus on this bill in her kick-off speech in Parliament. 
 
Budget Session:  Subsidies Still Rule 
---- 
 
¶11.  (U) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will present the 
GOI fiscal year 2011 (twelve month period ending March 31, 
2011) budget to Parliament on February 26.  Minister 
Mukherjee's budget will attempt to return India to nine 
percent annual GDP growth (a target which the Finance 
Minister says is within India's reach "in the coming years.") 
 This budget is likely to focus on GDP growth and be less 
concerned with undertaking direct steps to reduce the fiscal 
deficit.  Although there are media reports of plans to reform 
fertilizer subsidies, few expect the GoI to take unpopular 
steps to significantly curb fuel or food subsidies; unwind 
fiscal stimulus programs; or raise taxes. 
 
 
COMMENT: The BJP - Ready to Swing 
---- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) With the BJP taking steps to put its house in 
order, this parliamentary session is off with a bang.  The 
sharp opposition attacks on the government drew heavy media 
attention.  The political impact, however, may be limited 
because the concerns over food prices may merely be an urban 
issue.  The rural voter may in fact be thriving as food 
prices increase and result in higher incomes and more money 
circulating in rural areas.  The Pune blast has given the BJP 
traction in its plan to hammer the GoI in Parliament on 
resuming Indo-Pak talks.  The GoI should be able to deflect 
these attacks.  However, if there is a Sharm El-Sheikh-like 
misstep or another terrorist attack, the GoI will feel real 
heat in Parliament.  END COMMENT 
ROEMER