Parliament Winter session 2019 HIGHLIGHTS: Latest updates on proceedings in both houses of the Parliament
Parliament Winter Session HIGHLIGHTS: The issue of pollution— air, water and plastic— was taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The matter of air pollution in Delhi took up majority time in both the Houses yesterday. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar spoke on climate change today and said, “India has decided to become part of the solution for climate change. I appeal to each and every person to plant at least seven trees which will create an oxygen bank.” Javadekar also exuded confidence that the country will take less than the 15 years, time taken by Beijing, to improve air quality in Delhi.
Congress MPs including Shashi Tharoor, Ghulam Nabi Azad held protests in Parliament premises demanding transparency in electoral bonds. The Opposition has been attacking BJP over the issue and had staged a walkout yesterday after calling it a ‘big scam’, which Union Minister Piyush Goyal defended saying those opposing the new electoral funding system are “corrupt politicians”.
The Rajya Sabha is also expected to take up the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 for discussion after several members in the Upper House sought review of the Bill on Wednesday. The Bill seeks to provide a mechanism for social, economic and educational empowerment of transgenders which was moved in the Upper House by Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot.
The Delhi government is "creating hype" on the issue of rising air pollution in the national capital due to "political reasons", Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Responding to queries during Question Hour, he said, "It may be the failure of the state government. There are many reasons for the rise in pollution. However, the state government is creating hype for political reasons."
The Centre gives income support to land-holding farmer families having cultivable land and those working in allied sectors linked to agriculture, but landless labourers cannot be provided benefits by the Centre under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday.
Replying to supplementary questions in the Upper House of Parliament, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Parshottam Rupala said those working in allied sectors can also not be provided benefits by the Centre under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. (PTI)
There has been an increase of 362 per cent in the allocation of funds for railway projects in Bihar and as many as 55 projects are underway in the state, the Central government said on Friday.
Replying to supplementary questions during the question hour in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Railways Angadi Suresh Channabasappa said Rs 4,093 crore has been allocated for Bihar, an increase of 362 per cent, and that 55 projects are underway in the state. (PTI)
Ravi Kishan speaks in favour of Compulsory Voting Bill in Lok Sabha.
Compulsory voting Bill has been taken up for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha.
"Due to its durability, strength, inert behaviour and low cost, plastic emerged as one of the most reliable packaging material for the industries. As an outcome, the increase in demand for plastic has indirectly resulted into the challenge of plastic waste management," Javadekar said.
Replying to another question on developing green alternatives to plastic, the minister said due to its cheap cost, finding an alternative was a "challenging task". (PTI)
He also expected that all MPs will spread mass awareness on this issue in their respective constituencies. "The minister should make a region-specific diet chart for pregnant women and circulate this to MPs and a collective effort be made in this regard," he said. "The minister should make a region-specific diet chart for pregnant women and circulate this to MPs and a collective effort be made in this regard," he said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday asked Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani to prepare a diet chart for pregnant women and provide it to all members for circulation in their respective constituencies.
"We should make a collective effort to end malnutrition in the country. If we can create a mass movement to end malnutrition in the country...I hope it will be eradicated by the last session of this (17th) Lok Sabha," he said during Question Hour. (PTI)
In a written response to a question in the Lower House, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the demand of plastic has increased significantly due to its increased use in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, which has indirectly resulted into the challenge of plastic waste management.
India generates more than 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste everyday, 40 per cent of which remains uncollected and littered in the environment, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. (PTI)
The Centre is facing problems in implementing mega food park projects in Bihar and West Bengal although these states have huge scope for food processing, Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said in Rajya Sabha on Friday. "There is one mega food park in Bihar which according to me is under implementation. We have lot of trouble in Bihar to implement the projects," Badal said. She also said, "Bihar and West Bengal have lot of raw material, lot of potential, but lot of difficulties in implementing our projects over there." (PTI)
"Our intention is to give better services and benefits and not to privatise the Indian Railways. The Indian Railways is and always continues to be the property of India and people of India," Goyal assured in the Upper House. (PTI)
Responding to a series of queries during Question Hour, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said such a step has been taken as it is not possible for the government to meet the fund requirement of Rs 50 lakh crore estimated for the next 12 years to operate Railways. "Every day, members come with a new demand for lines and better services. It is not going to be a possibility for the Government of India to provide Rs 50 lakh crore for the next 12 years. We all know that," he said, adding there are budgetary constraints and other real issues. (PTI)
The government is not privatising the Indian Railways but only outsourcing commercial and on-board services to private players in order to provide better facilities to commuters, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said in Rajya Sabha on Friday. (PTI)
Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (amendment of articles 51A) seeking to participate in mass movement for cleanliness and propagate the message of Clean India through his words and deeds has been moved in Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha to meet at 3.30 pm.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday attacked the BJP-led government over disinvestment of PSUs, accusing it of pursuing privatisation to "pamper" some private players. Government is selling family silver of the country to pursue privatisation and is doing so without Parliament scrutiny, he said while speaking after Question Hour. Chowdhury said, "Government is selling profit-making PSUs to pamper some private players." (PTI)
It took Beijing fifteen years to reduce air pollution but we will take less time to improve air quality in the national capital, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in Lok Sabha on Friday. "It took Beijing 15 years (to fight air pollution). We will take lesser time," he said, referring to air quality in Delhi. (PTI)
A day after raking up the issue of electoral bonds in both the Houses—Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the Congress Friday protested outside Parliament premises, demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the issue. Several senior Congress leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Shashi Tharoor, and Manish Tewari joined the protest, alleging that the government is a “factory of lies”. Read full story
Opposition parties led by the Congress on Friday sought to raise the issue of electoral bonds in Rajya Sabha but were not allowed by the Chair. Congress and other parties gave several notices under Rule 267 seeking setting aside of the business to take up the issue after news reports suggested that the Finance Ministry overruled objections of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the bonds. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, however, said he has examined the issue and it was not important enough to set aside the business. (PTI)