The Lok Sabha today took up discussion on the Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017 for consideration and passing. In the last session, the Rajya Sabha had made certain amendments in the bill. <br/><br/>The Constitution Amendment bill seeks to create a new commission with constitutional status for the OBCs at par with the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. <br/><br/>The bill carries most of the provisions it had in its original version passed by the Lok Sabha before the opposition got amendments passed in the Upper House in the last session.<br/>'<br/>Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot moved amendments seeking to reject the amendments inserted in the original bill by the Rajya Sabha regarding composition of the National Commission for Backward Classes. <br/><br/>Mr Gehlot said opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha had demanded that the Act should make provisions for a woman and a member from minority communities in the commission.<br/>'<br/>He said he had agreed to make provision in the rules for inclusion of a woman member in the commission but there is no need for a quota for minority communities as a Minority Commission already exists.<br/><br/>The bill also says that the proposed National Commission for Backward Classes will give its report concerning a state to the state government and not to the Governor as provided in the original bill passed by the Lok Sabha.<br/>'<br/>However, the discussion on the Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017 had an abrupt end due to heated exchange of words between some members of treasury benches and TMC member Kalyan Banerjee, which led Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House finally for the day.<br/><br/>When Mr. Banarjee was speaking, some BJP members including Ganesh Singh objected to some of his remarks. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to pacify the members but in vain.<br/>'<br/>Earlier initiating the debate, Rajiv Satav of Congress demanded creation of a separate Ministry to deal with issues involving OBCs. He said, there should be more than five members in the NCBC to make it more representative.<br/>''<br/>Ganesh Singh of BJP said the government has proved that it is for empowering the OBCs and the bill underscored this commitment. He urged the government to make the census data public so that population of different OBC communities could be known. <br/><br/>TMC member Kalyan Banerjee said, the BJP should not claim that it was the party which gave all benefits to OBCs. He, however, welcomed the new provision that requires the commission to give its report to the state government concerned and not to the Governor. The discussion on the legislation remained inconclusive as the House was adjourned for the day.