Parliament Monsoon Session 2018 HIGHLIGHTS: Finance Minister Piyush Goyal during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (Source: LSTV Grab via PTI)
Parliament Monsoon Session 2018: The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 has been passed by the Upper House today, the Bill was presented by Union Minister Piyush Goyal at the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. The bill which was passed by Lok Sabha last week empowers authorities to attach and confiscate properties and assets of economic offenders like loan defaulters who flee the country.
“This bill is an effective, expeditious and constitutional way to stop these offenders from running away. Legislative changes or a new law must be in place to confiscate assets of such absconders till they don’t present themselves in front of the courts. We will also work out what has to be done with the confiscated assets,” Goyal said in the House.
The ordinance will come into effect after the assent of the President. Apart from this, HRD Minister Prakash Javaderkar will also put forward the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018 for consideration and passage.
In Lok Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi will move the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018. Touted as India’s first comprehensive anti-trafficking bill, this was cleared by the Cabinet in February this year. The bill, however, has been met with opposition from activists who feel that the proposed law, if enacted will further marginalise vulnerable communities, such as consenting sex workers, trans people and children. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will also take up the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 for discussion in the House today.
On Tuesday, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Veerappa Moily, Jyotiraditya Scindia, KV Thomas and Rajeev Satav moved a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharama contending that they “deliberately misled” Lok Sabha on the price of Rafale fighter jets.
After the recent financial frauds came to fore in India, especially the Rs 13,000 crore PNB scam where diamantaire Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi fled the country, it became apparent that the existing civil and criminal provisions are not entirely adequate to deal with the severity of the problem. The absence of offenders during investigations poses problems for the probing agencies apart from undermining the law of the country. The ordinance will come into effect after the assent of the President.
The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha today and by the Lok Sabha last week. Read more
Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told Lok Sabha that relations between India and China are a factor of stability and that the two countries must not allow their differences to become disputes. “Issues where there are differences are being handled through dialogue to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution based on mutual respect and sensitivity to each other’s interests, concerns and aspirations,” he said.
In the last few months, the Asian giants have been making efforts to expand cooperation in a range of areas and boost overall ties which had come under severe strain in the wake of a 73-day-long standoff between militaries of the two countries in Doklam last year. Read more here
The effort behind Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 is to deter people from running away from India and those who have run away from India to force them to come back & submit themselves to the process of law. There have been many instances of economic offenders for the last several decades who have been fleeing the jurisdiction of Indian Courts. The current laws have their own limitations in stopping people who flee the country: Piyush Goyal
We have also ensured that unless the person comes back and submits himself to the laws of India the person will be disentitled from defending any civil claim in any other forum. If at any point of time in the course of the proceedings prior to the declaration as a fugitive economic offender, if the person returns to India & submits to the appropriate jurisdictional court the proceedings under the law may be terminated by the special court: Piyush Goyal
"The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 makes provisions for a special court which will be designated under the prevention of money laundering act to declare a person as a fugitive economic offender & confiscate his properties. To begin with, we have kept a threshold of Rs 100 crore to be brought within the provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 so that we can focus on big economic offenders," says Piyush Goyal in the House.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings begin after lunch.
During the proceedings, Congress leaders submitted their privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for allegedly misleading the House on the Rafale deal issue during the debate on the no-confidence motion on July 20. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the motions are under her consideration. What is a privilege motion?
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned for lunch, To reopen after 2
Resuming the proceedings, Sumitra Mahajan said that while the members are allowed to put forward their opinion or feel angry over issues, they need to remain within their limits
Speaker Mahajan adjourned the house till 12.30 pm
Congress leader VC Venugopal raises the issue of data leak of students who appeared for NEET exams in 2018. Adding that the breach is a violation of privacy, the Congress leader said that the leak raises questions on the sanctity of CBSE to conduct exams. Adding that CBSE papers were also leaked early this year, Venugopal said, "This created a question on the credibility in the examination system."
While Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of increasing cost of Bullet Train Project in Lok Sabha, Rail Minister Piyush Goyal responded saying the BJP government belives in holistic development. Taking a jibe at Kharge, Goyal said the Congress leader is concerned only about the development of his own constituency
Actor-politician Jaya Bachchan raised the issue of rising crimes against women in the country. "What you need is not a new bill but the political will, the administrative skill to kill the evil," Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu said
Congress MP KC Venugopal has given adjournment notice in Lok Sabha over NEET data leak matter. On Tuesday, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had written to CBSE chairperson demanding a probe in the leak. According to a media report, the details of students who appeared for NEET 2018 were available on a portal at a cost of Rs 2 lakh.
A day after the debate over special status for Andhra Pradesh took place in Rajya Sabha, CM Chandrababu Naidu has asked his MPs to consider moving a privilege motion against the Prime Minister and Union Ministers. Naidu said the Centre's claim of fulfilling 90% of the promises made in AP Reorganisation is misleading, reported ANI
Welcome to the live blog. Key bills including the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 and the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 are up for consideration in Parliament today.