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"I foresee the convergence bill taking a final shape (after
the suggestion of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Telecom
& IT) sometime in May," telecom, IT and parliamentary affairs
minister Pramod Mahajan said to a query put to him by indiantelevision.com
on the sidelines of the ongoing India Economic Summit organized
by the World Economic Forum and the CII.
Asked about the status of the Convergence Communication Bill, which
had been referred to the Standing Committee last year, Mahajan said,
"The parliamentary panel has just submitted its report and
in the beginning only some people have said whether the time is
ripe for a Convergence legislation. I have not yet gone into the
suggestion but will take a holistic approach once the report is
studied."
The Standing Committee, which submitted its report a few days back
to Parliament, has highlighted the fact some people who had deposed
before it and sent information on the Bill had questioned the very
need for such a piece of legislation in the first place at the present
juncture.
According to Mahajan, if there is a need, after studying the Standing
panel’s report, another round of debate can be had in Parliament.
"But I see the Bill being taken up (for discussion) by the
Parliament only during the Budget session and that too in the latter
half of the session after the (annual) Budget (of the country) has
been discussed," he added.
Mahajan said that he has asked his ministry to go into the Standing
panel’s report on Convergence Communication Bill that will take
into account various comments collated by the panel. "Once
that has happened, only then I can make up my mind and if need be
we can have another round of discussion (on the issue) in Parliament."
Asked whether he is in favour of an overall legislation for the
convergence space, Mahajan said, "Personally I am in favour
of such a piece of legislation because some time or other it has
to come. The earlier the work on it begins, the better."
See related headline:
Standing
Committee moots Communications Act
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