Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Lok Sabha today. (Source: Screengrab/LokSabhaTV)Parliament Highlights: Launching into the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said those who are disrupting the House proceedings are doing so as per a well-planned strategy. On the farm laws, PM Modi said his government has immense respect for the farmers but they need to come up with specific demands which can be changed in the law.
“After the Laws relating to agriculture were passed by Parliament – no Mandi has shut. Likewise, MSP has remained. Procurement on MSP has remained. These facts can’t be ignored,” the PM emphasised.
Speaking on the Union Budget, Congress leader Kapil Sibal Wednesday said while the NDA government accuses its predecessor UPA government of doing vote bank politics, they themselves have done the same in the budget this year by awarding infrastructure projects to the states which are going to polls this year. “The government engages in vote bank politics in budget. Outside the budget, it engages in note bank politics,” he said.
The Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 was passed in the Rajya Sabha. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 will be discussed by the Lok Sabha later today.
Parliament has witnessed a number of disruptions over the last few days, as the Opposition continuously clashed with the Centre over its contentious new farm laws.
Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad speaks at Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (RSTV/PTI Photo)
Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 4 pm on February 11
The opposition Congress on Wednesday walked out of Lok Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech, saying he did not address its concerns over the agri laws, and called him "jumlajivi" as it questioned his commitment to farmers' welfare. "We thought the prime minister will talk about some important steps for the welfare of the farmers. Over 206 farmers have lost their lives, but the prime minister is not willing to say anything about it," Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters outside Parliament.
Taking to Twitter, the Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala attacked the prime minister over his remarks in Lok Sabha, alleging that the PM's show of commitment to the welfare of farmers is one of duplicity. PTI
Senior TMC leader Saugata Roy said in Lok Sabha today that the lockdown imposed by the Centre in March last year to curb the spread of coronavirus was cruel.
He accused the BJP-led central government of delaying the announcement of lockdown by four days in order to topple the Madhya Pradesh government. "Imposing a lockdown without notice was cruel. Mamata Banerjee had said the same," he claimed.
The Election Commission has not shared any electoral roll data with the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Responding to a question on whether the Election Commission (EC) has shared electoral rolls data along with photos with agencies under the Ministry of Home Affairs, such as NATGRID, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad replied in the negative.
"The commission has stated that it has not shared any electoral roll data with NATGRID," the minister said in a written reply.
He also said that the poll panel has informed that electoral roll data base is shared with departments of the central government or state governments as and when requests are received from them for specific purposes.
Citing the EC, Prasad said election commissions of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra use electoral roll data of assembly constituencies for preparing their electoral roll for local body and panchayat elections. (PTI)
There is a need to come out of the mindset of excessive regulation and the baggage of socialism for reforms in the country, BJP leader Sushil Modi said in Rajya Sabha Wednesday, defending the budget proposals on disinvestment.
He said the budget for 2021-22 will bring in reforms in the country and create huge employment opportunities with enhanced capital expenditure of Rs 5.54 lakh crore. "We need to come out of this mindset of excessive regulation and excessive baggage of socialism. There was a time when excessive baggage of socialism established control on the entire economy. There is a need to come of this mindset," Sushil Modi said in his maiden speech in the Upper House.
"Will taxpayers' money be spent on businesses running in losses, on Air India? I would like to thank Narendra Modi ji. If any Prime Minister has presented a reformist budget after 1991, then the government of India has done it for 2021-22," Sushil Modi said. (PTI)
Congress MP in Shashi Tharoor: "The govt has come out with a budget which deceives people with respect to the allocation in defence and health sectors. Lal Bahadur Shastri had said 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. The contribution of this budget is 'Na Jawan na Kisan'."
"This tepid budget ignored the middle class in their hour of need. You've given them increase in fuel prices. The excise duty on petrol has risen by 348% since 2014. Soon banks will have to provide fuel loans."
There is no proposal to bring in changes in FDI (foreign direct investment) norms for the e-commerce sector, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash also said there is no proposal at present to establish an e-commerce regulator.
"There is no proposal to bring in changes to FDI investment rules for e-commerce sector in India, at present," he said.
To a query on prices of steel and cement, Parkash said complaints regarding cartelisation by cement companies have been received and Competition Commission of India (CCI) is the appropriate authority to deal with such types of complaints. (PTI)
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Hasimrat Kaur Badal says, "I think the need of the hour is to listen to what farmer wants. PM said that in Punjab, ministers went and spoke to farmers. I wish he'd tell which farmer was spoken to because as far as I recall, the only minister who went to Punjab called farmers hooligans."
"It is unfortunate that he said nothing for the 150 people who died (during farmers' agitation). Where would the ministers have gone in Punjab when they couldn't go to the borders of Delhi in the last 75 days?" (ANI)
Congress attacks PM Modi for 'andolanjeevi' remark in the Parliament.
Lok Sabha passes motion to thank President for his address to both Houses of Parliament.
Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after staging a walkout from the Lok Sabha: We walked out because PM didn't discuss our concerns over farmers' death. He agreed that amendments are required in #FarmLaws, some states will be benefitted and some' won't. Why do you have to bring laws that won't be benefitting everyone? (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: There are people who talk the right things. But this same section, when it comes to doing the right things, fail to convert words into action. Those who talk big on electoral reforms oppose One Nation One Election. They speak of gender justice but oppose Triple Talaq.
PM Modi in Lok Sabha: I consider the Kisan Andolan to be pious. But, when Andolanjeevis hijack protest, showcase photos of those jailed for serious offences, does it serve any purpose? Not allowing toll plazas to work, destroying telecom towers- does it serve pious protests.
TMC MPs walkout of the House during PM Narendra Modi's reply in Lok Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha says the private sector is as important as the public sector for the development of the country. It is not right to malign them. Wealth creators are important for the country.
"To use improper words against the private sector may have got votes for a few people in the past but those times are gone. The culture of abusing the private sector is not acceptable any longer. We cannot keep insulting our youth like this," PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: Till the time we could not bring investment and new technologies to our agriculture, we will not be able to make our farming sector strong. We need to go beyond growing only wheat and paddy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: I am surprised for the first time a new argument has come that we did not ask, so why did you give. Be it dowry or triple talaq, no one had demanded a law for this, but due to being necessary for progressive society, the law was made.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to the motion of thanks to the President's address, Congress stages walkout from the Lok Sabha raising slogans to repeal farm laws.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: Those who are disrupting the House are doing so as per a well-planned strategy. They are unable to digest that people are seeing through the truth. Through their games, the trust of the people can never be won.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says no MSP, no mandi has stopped even after the farm laws were passed brought through ordinance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on farm laws: Senior ministers from our government were in talks with the farmers from the time this protest was in Punjab itself. We have immense respect for our farmers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: The post-COVID world is turning out to be very different. In such times, remaining isolated from global trends will be counter-productive. We will have to emerge as a strong player. That is why, India is working towards building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We need to be self-sufficient like we become in pharma industry.
Today we can hear 'vocal for local' in every corner of India. People look for local. This sense of self-respect is working a lot for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: I thank all the MPs who participated in this discussion. I would especially like to express our gratitude to our women MPs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: The speech by President showcased India's 'Sankalp Shakti'. His words have boosted the spirit of confidence among the people of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, in Lok Sabha shortly.
The Centre informed Parliament on Wednesday that the Allahabad High Court is monitoring the CBI probe into the rape-and-murder case of a 19-year-old woman in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh as directed by the Supreme Court.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the apex court had observed that since the Uttar Pradesh police was divested of the probe and the central agency is carrying out the investigation, there would be no room for apprehensions at this stage.
He said the investigation into the Hathras rape-and-murder case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the recommendation of the state government through a gazette notification of October 10, 2020.
Reddy said according to the available information, the Supreme Court, in its order on October 27, 2020, had observed that the petitioners had prayed that the Union of India and the authorities concerned be ordered to conduct a fair probe and if the need arises, by transferring the case to the CBI, or a special investigation team (SIT) be formed to investigate the matter and that it was also prayed that a sitting or retired Supreme Court or high court judge be appointed to look into the matter. (PTI)
The Centre and states owe Air India Rs 498.17 crore as on December 31, 2020 for VVIP travel, evacuation operations, travel of foreign dignitaries among other services, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Wednesday.
The governments in states and at the Centre owe the airline Rs 84.57 crore for VVIP travel, Rs 12.61 crore for foreign dignitaries' travel, Rs. 9.67 crore for evacuation operations and Rs 391.32 crore as other outstanding dues, the minister told Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question.
The national carrier incurred a provisional loss of Rs 7,982 crore in 2019-20 as compared to the net loss of Rs 8,556 crore in 2018-19, Puri said. "The total amount of outstanding dues owed by the Central and State Governments to Air India for VVIP travel, evacuation operations, foreign dignitaries travel and other outstanding dues as on 31.12.2020 is Rs. 498.17 crore," Puri stated. (PTI)
Around one crore migrant workers went back to their home states during the COVID-19 pandemic but most of them have now returned and are getting employment, Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar said on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha.
"As per the information gathered, around one crore labourers returned to their home states from their workplace States. But, now most of them have gone back to work and are getting placement," he said during Question Hour.
The minister was answering to a supplementary question asked by senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav who wanted to know how many labourers in the unorganised sector lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic following closure of factories.
Noting that there are 10 crore labourers in the organised sector and 40 crore in the unorganised sector, Gangwar said the government is making efforts and running programmes to shift the workforce employed in the unorganised sector to organised sector. "Employment generation coupled with improving employability is the priority of the government," he said in a written reply to a starred question. (PTI)
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday said petrol and diesel prices are governed by an international price mechanism and it was a misnomer to campaign in such a way that fuel prices are at an all-time high.
"In the last 300 days, there have been around 60 days of increase in price (and) in around 7 days in petrol and 21 days in diesel we have decreased the price. And for almost 250 days we have not increased or decreased prices... So, it's a misnomer to campaign in that way that it is all-time high," he told Rajya Sabha.
Replying to questions in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said the Centre has raised the excise duty and states hiked value-added tax (VAT). He noted that the central government has also reduced prices.
Pradhan said international crude oil price is an indicator but international product price is the benchmark. "In our country state governments and the union government are careful about their tax collection because everybody has their own welfare commitment, developmental priorities for that they need some resources from this route... petroleum price tax collection is a proven and substantial collection for state governments, the union government," Pradhan said. (PTI)
The Major Ports Authority Bill, 2020 was passed through ballot votes with 84 in favour and 44 against it in the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on September 23, 2020 passed the bill. Allaying fears of members, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya categorically said it was not intended towards privatisation of major ports and rather aimed at boosting their decision-making powers in order to compete with private ports.
The bill aims to provide for regulation, operation and planning of major ports in India and to vest the administration, control and management of such ports upon the boards of major port authorities and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, be taken into consideration. (PTI)
A committee, set up by the Centre for putting forward recommendations for the implementation of Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord, has submitted its report to the state government and it is under examination, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said, "The High Level Committee for implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord, headed by Hon'ble Justice (Retd) B K Sharma, has submitted its report to the Assam government. The recommendations are under examination of the state government."
The committee was set up for giving recommendations for the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord that came at the culmination of a six-year-long movement (1979-85) against illegal immigration from Bangladesh. (PTI)
Speaking on the Union Budget, Congress leader Kapil Sibal Wednesday said while the NDA government accuses its predecessor UPA government of doing vote bank politics, they themselves have done the same in the budget this year by awarding infrastructure projects to the states which are going to polls this year. "The government engages in vote bank politics in budget. Outside the budget, it engages in note bank politics," he said.
Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy Wednesday denied that any civilians, including a journalist, were privy to information related to the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress MP K Suresh has given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha demanding to discuss the "Alarming rise in COVID19 cases in Kerala". (ANI)
A demand to frame rules giving Indian consultancy companies preference in contracts on the lines of the new US federal spending policy was made in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Raising the issue through a zero hour mention, BJP's Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe said the new US President Joe Biden last month asked federal agencies to purchase products and services produced in America.
The government of India, too, should frame a new policy giving preference to Indian consultancy firms over foreign entities. Local consultancy often lose out to foreign firms due to eligibility criteria requiring certain experience, he said. Consultancy, he said, is a big industry that is dominated by foreign agencies.
According to industry association Assocham, the turnover of the consultancy business in 2020 was Rs 27,000 crore, he said. According to Sahasrabuddhe, public policy is an attractive domain and 80 per cent of B-school graduates get absorbed in consultancy firms. Rules need to be changed to give preference to domestic consultancy firms, he added. (PTI)
"From 2016 to 2019, there were 2,548 reported complaints, while registered FIRs were 2,104. The accused named were 4,189. Of which, 4,072 were arrested, charges filed on 1,134 & 212 convicted: MoS Home N. Rai in Rajya Sabha on action against infiltrators at India-Bangladesh border," MoS Home N. Rai said in Rajya Sabha on action against infiltrators at India-Bangladesh border.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, MoS Home Nityananda Rai said: The Rules under The Citizenship Amendment Act are under preparation. The Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have granted an extension up to 9th April 2021 and 9th July 20201 respectively.
Pilot project for new design modular fencing on Indo-Pak border in Punjab has been completed in March 2020, MoS Home Nityanand Rai said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a three-line whip to its Lok Sabha MPs to be present in the House today.
Pointing out that the education of young girls was impacted during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said "The period saw an increase in child marriages. As per an RTI reply, the child helpline recieved18,324 distress calls. I request Women and Child Development Minister to collect data on child marriages, mobilise anganwadi workers on mission mode so that the girls can go back to school."
Responding to a question about why flights are not operating up to 80 per cent, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said: "On one hand, some of the carriers want us to open 100% while others would like us to take it slow. Our decision to raise it beyond 80% will depend on the behaviour of the virus."