In most bills, the members participation was sparse and the minister's reply brief.(File)Parliament Monsoon Session Highlights: Responding to Opposition’s remarks that the BJP criticised MGNREGA when introduced by the UPA government, yet using the scheme now, Sitharaman said, “Launching Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is one thing and using it effectively is another. According to CAG (Comptroller & Auditor General of India), MGNREGA funds were sent in ghost accounts (under UPA).”
After being adjourned four times over ruckus by the opposition parties on MoS Anurag Thakur’s Gandhi-Nehru remarks on Friday, the Lok Sabha proceedings resumed at 6 pm. On the insistence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Thakur apologised to the House, saying his aim was not to hurt anybody’s sentiments through his words. “I am pained if my words hurt anybody,” he added.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 6 pm after Opposition was irked and demanded apology from Thakur over his remarks on Gandhi Family. While opposition leaders such as Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticised the PM CARES fund during the discussion on The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, Thakur accused Gandhi family of ‘cheating’ public by pooling public money through creation of various funds under different names.
While defending the PM CARES fund, Thakur said, “From the high court to the Supreme Court, all courts have validated the PM CARES fund. Even children have contributed to it from their piggy banks. Nehru had set up a fund that has not been registered to date. You (Congress) only made a trust for the benefit of the Gandhi family. You made Sonia Gandhi its chairman. It should be probed,” said Anurag Thakur. “Nehru ji ordered the creation of Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund in 1948 like a royal order but its registration has not been done even till today. How did it get FCRA clearance?” Thakur asked. This irked the Opposition and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury lashed out at Thakur calling him chhokra (boy) from Himachal, he also demanded Thakur’s apology for allegedly maligning Nehru-Gandhi family.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his address in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. (Screengrab)
Lok Sabha adjourned till 3 pm Saturday.
Lok Sabha approves The Supplementary Demands for Grants of additional spending Rs 2.35 lakh crore in 2020-21 through voice vote.
"We are not contemplating increasing taxes to compensate loss in revenues due to coronavirus pandemic," FM Sitharaman said.
In reply to the Opposition's arguments that the BJP criticised MRNREGS when introduced by the UPA government, yet using the scheme now, Sitharaman said, "Launching Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is one thing and using it effectively is another. According to CAG (Comptroller & Auditor General of India), MGNREGS funds were sent in ghost accounts."
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the additional resources sought under supplementary demand for grants will largely be used for people-centric activities. She added that Under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, one-time cash transfer of Rs 1,000 has been done for 8.3 crore poor families. In another measure, one-time cash transfer of Rs 1,000 done for 3 crore senior citizens.
Three of the nearly 30 coronavirus vaccine candidates in the country are in advanced stages of clinical trials, while four are in pre-clinical development stage, Science and Technology Ministry Harsh Vardhan said on Friday. A high-level expert group is looking into matters related to vaccine distribution and immunisation, he said. "Nationally, nearly 30 vaccine candidates are under development, by both industry and academia. These vaccines are in different stages of pre-clinical and clinical development of which three candidates are in advanced stage of Phase I/II/III trials and four are in advanced pre-clinical development stage," Vardhan said in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha. (PTI)
This government has got Covid-19 as a blessing in disguise, said BSP MP Ritesh Pandey. "The government can now blame all its policy failures on this Act of God. But people shouldn't forget that failure of once-promising economy is not an act of god but an act of bad governance," he said. He demanded a policy that can ensure education, health and employment in India.
Bhartruhari Mahtab, BJD MP, said government is working for rural poor but should focus on urban poor.
Demand-side interventions are required. Govt should allocate more funds to schemes like MNREGA. There are formulas available to revive the economy but govt is busy selling airports. Finance Minister should show us way out of this dark tunnel, Saugata Roy said.
Admitting that the present state of economy is a result of the pandemic, TMC MP Sougata Roy said the economy was in a downward spiral even before the pandemic struck. "We reacted to Covid late. We knew about the virus in January, still we welcomed Donald Trump. Later, we imposed a lockdown abruptly."
Finance Minister is diluting GST compensation issue with 'Act of God' excuse. How can centre expect states to carry on the additional burden of borrowing? This is nothing short of deception. We don't see any green shoots in the economy, said Dayanidhi Maran, DMK MP, Lok Sabha.
The Centre has released an amount of over Rs 3,024 crore under the Nirbhaya fund out of which states have utilised around Rs 1,919 crore, the Women and Child Development Ministry said on Friday. The Nirbhaya fund was set up in 2013 by the UPA government to improve the safety and security of women in the aftermath of the brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old paramedic student, who came to be known as Nirbhaya, in December, 2012 in a moving bus in Delhi. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani gave out state-wise data of release and utilization of the Nirbhaya fund. The data showed the Centre has released an amount of Rs 3,024.46 crore under the Nirbhaya fund out of which states have utilised Rs 1,919.11 crore. (PTI)
GST was hurriedly introduced in November last 2019 to cover up man-made economic disaster, said Dayanidhi Maran, DMK, Chennai. Now, to avoid GST compensation, government is giving 'act of God' excuse, he added.
"We (our GDP) are already at 23% low, which may further go down to 35%, according to experts. What is the fate of 5 Trillion economy?" Adhir Chowdhury asked Sitharaman in Lok Sabha. "What is the state of PSU monetisation?" he asked the Finance Minister.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury slammed the government for not maintaining data on migrant deaths and job losses during pandemic. "It has become a no-data government," he said.
"5% of the economic stimulus is the actual push to the economy. It is a bluff," said Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
BJP MP Jayant Sinha during discussion on 'Supplementary Demands for Grants 2020-21' in Lok Sabha said, "The number of job demands under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has come down from 6 crore to below 2 crore because our economy is recovering after unlocks."
As many as 1,100 indigenous manufacturers of PPE kits have been developed by the government till date and most of them are from the MSME sector, Parliament was informed on Friday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Textiles Minister Smriti Irani said the capacity and production of PPE coveralls for COVID-19 touched a peak of 5 lakh per day in mid-May 2020. "From zero manufacturers in March 2020, 1,100 indigenous manufacturers of PPE kits have been developed by the government till date, most of them being from the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprise) sector," she said. (PTI)
"We are going through a very strong (economic) recovery stage," said BJP Jayant Sinha. "Rupee has appreciated against dollars showing that our macro-economic stability is not compromised."
Discussion on The Supplementary Demands for Grants 2020-21 and The Demands for Excess Grants for 2016-17 in Lok Sabha.
"My aim was not to hurt anybody with my words. I am pained if my words hurt anybody here," said Anurag Thakur
Lok Sabha resumed at 6 pm. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requests members to refreain from accusing each other without having data and facts.
Anurag Thakur, while speaking in defence of the PM CARES Fund, said "From the high court to the Supreme Court, all courts have validated the PM CARES fund. Even children have contributed to it from their piggy banks. Nehru had set up a fund that has not been registered to date. You (Congress) only made a trust for the benefit of the Gandhi family. You made Sonia Gandhi its chairman. It should be probed," said Anurag Thakur. This irked the Opposition and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury lashed out at Thakur calling him chhokra (boy) from Himachal, demanding apology for maligning Nehru-Gandhi family. "Who is this boy from Himachal?," Chowdhury asked. "How did Nehru come into this debate? Did we take Narendra Modi's name?"
As ruckus continued, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 5.30 pm soon after it resumed at 5 pm.
After Lok Sabha resumes, Opposition demanded Anurag Thakur's apology for his remarks on Gandhi family. Lok Sabha was adjourned till 5 pm.
Parliament resumes after 30 minutes.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for 30 minutes after Opposition was irked and demanded apology from MoS Finance Anurag Thakur over his remarks on Gandhi Family. While opposition leaders such as Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticised the PM CARES fund during the discussion on The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, Thakur accused Gandhi family of ‘cheating’ public by pooling public money through creation of various funds under different names.
Opposition opposing PM Cares Fund, just for the sake of it, is like they opposed EVMs & then lost many elections. "They subsequently termed Jan Dhan, demonetisation, Triple Talaq and GST bad. They find defect in everything, truth is their intention is defected," said MoS Finance Anurag Thakur. “Nehru ji ordered the creation of Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund in 1948 like a royal order but its registration has not been done even till today. How did it get FCRA clearance?” Thakur asked.
Anurag Thakur accused Gandhi family of 'cheating' public by accumulating money in trusts under different names. Lok Sabha session heated up.
"Since the PM CARES Fund has the name of the institution of the Prime Minister attached to it, wouldn't it have been more appropriate if this fund would have been created through legislation rather than as a public trust," Congress leader Manish Tewari said in Lok Sabha
"We are not running away from our responsibility," said Sitharaman on GST compensation. "Our PM has been a successful CM and he knows the necessities of the states and there is no question of depriving them."
TMC opposes The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020, introduced by Sitharaman in Lok Sabha. "Insertion of PM CARES Fund is a new concept. What is the need of this fund? As it has been told, that there will be no audit of the activities. Hence I demand that PM CARES Fund be abolished and funds be directed to Prime Minister National Relief Find," says Sougata Roy.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor opposes The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020, introduced by Sitharaman in Lok Sabha.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduces The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020, in Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha session begins.
Bill to be introduced in Lok Sabha today
Bills for consideration and passing
The session in Rajya Sabha was concluded for today.
The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 were passed by voice vote today.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi addressed DMK MP's criticism of the bill, reminding him that charity begins at home. "We have to be role models for our country. The saving from the bills is not Rs. 6 crore, it is at least Rs. 53.83 crore," he said. A heated argument broke out between him and TMC MP Derek O'Brien.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad congratulated all those who showed their support to the bill. Speaking on the MPLAD, he said: "MPLAD is not our money but belongs to the poor. It is the only kind of fund that is equally distributed. You do not build palaces but small houses. You build ambulances to help those who are ill. You build small roads to connect one village to another. You build community centres. Work which is not carried out by the Centre is done by the MPLAD. Why have we assumed that coronavirus is here for two years and cancelled the funds? The period should be reduced to one year."
Despite his support, AAP MP from Delhi N D Gupta said the bill sends a message to the citizens that the MPs' salary had to be forcibly reduced to get them to contribute. He added that the contibutions could have been made voluntary, and that it would have saved the House a considerable amount of time.
Like Congress MP from Maharashtra Rajeev Satav, BJD's Prasanna Acharya also reiterated the need to restore MPLAD funds. "If we are not given the money, no one knows where it is going," he said.
Speaking on the bill, TMC MP Dinesh Trivedi said: "The concept of salary itself is wrong. Ours is not a 9-5 job. Ours is a 24*7 job. The credibility of Parliament is in danger. The country is going through a huge crisis. There cannot be a supporter and an opposition. The country is not looking for your salary cut but direction and survival."
Extending his support to the bill, Congress MP from Maharashtra Rajeev Satav said he is ready to work for Re. 1 if that would help the Covid response. However, he disapproved the suspension of MPLAD funds and criticised the handling of the economy. He also sought accountability for funds under PMCARES. He added that the Central Vista Project must be suspended under the pandemic is over.
The discussion on The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020, is presently underway.
"A member of the House called the reform and regulation of the Indian systems of medicine being undertaken through the bills, as promoting 'quackery'. I am pained by the use of this word," Dr Harsh Vardhan told the Upper House.
Speaking on the Bill, Dr Harsh Vardhan told the Rajya Sabha: "The government is committed to ensure that all kinds of medicines are available to the citizens. We also have the National Digital Mission. New medical institutes are opening under which there are blocks dealing with Indian medicines." He also objected to the use of the word "quackery" and said that the National Medical Commission for modern medicine will be functional soon.
After much discussion, The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 were passed by voice vote today.
Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh told the Upper House that the amount set aside for homoeopathy by the AYUSH ministry budget is very small.
"This is one more attempt of this government to strike at the roots of federalism. From the day they assumed office, most Bills passed have taken away the powers of the state government. The Standing Committee has very clearly stated that there is no representation of the State Medical Councils in the Advisory Council. So, it is recommended that there should be a provision for representation of elected members of the State Medical Councils," DMK MP T Siva said while speaking on The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill and Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill.
Speaking in favour of the homeopathy bill. Samajwadi Party MP from Uttar Pradesh Ram Gopal Yadav told the House that the present amendments have limited scope, and are just to extend the tenure of the Board of Governors. There are diseases for which there is no cure in allopathy, but there is a cure in ayurveda, he added.
Speaking on the same Bill, BJD MP Prasanna Acharya from Odisha said: "Homoeopathy is an old Indian system of medicine and it is accessible to the poor. So we need to make it robust." However, he stressed on the proper need for demarcation of powers and functions which has not been addressed in the bill."
Speaking on the "terrible condition" of homeopathy centres, TMC MP Shantanu Sen told the Rajya Sabha: "What can be expected from a government that says that drinking cow urine can cure disease or Covid-19?They are indirectly promoting private medical colleges and quackery."
On The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi of the BJP said: "Some say that there is no scientific proof for homoeopathic medicines effectiveness. Homoeopathy is a strain of medicine that focusses not just on the disease but also the patient. The science behind this is not visible to anyone." It is regrettable that we did not explore Indian medicine in depth earlier, he added.
The following Bills will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha today:
* The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020
* The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
* The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
* The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020
* The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020
BJD leader from Odisha Muzibulla Khan today raised the Census issue in the Rajya Sabha and requested for a fresh Census for the state of Odisha.
BJP MP from Andhra Pradesh T G Venkataesh raised the issue of closure of power industries in the state. Tamil Nadu MP M Thambidurai, spoke on the proper procurement of bumper crops from the farmers and ensure them timely payment. Congress MP from Punjab, Shamsher Singh Dullo, spoke on the "liquor mafia" in the state and the sale of spurious liquor due to the alleged nexus with the government.
Session in the Rajya Sabha resumed at 9.35 am.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore today gave an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss "the need to initiate probe over Facebook's alleged interference in the country's electoral democracy".
In his opening address, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu paid his tributes to Karnataka MP Ashok Gasti who passed away late on Thursday. "The country has lost a dedicated Parliamentarian and social worker," Naidu said. In view of this, the House was adjourned till 9.35 am.