Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said in the Rajya Sabha that there are problems in the agriculture sector and he would discuss the issues with the farmers and their associations. Concluding his reply to a discussion on the working of his Ministry, Mr Chouhan said he would resolve the problems through dialogue and move forward taking everyone along. The Minister said, he has invited the State agriculture ministers to discuss the problems faced by farmers.
Amid uproar by Opposition members over issues such as legal assurance of MSP, Mr Chouhan said Government is providing 6,000 rupees per year as minimum income support to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. He also alleged that the Congress has always talked about helping farmers but it has never done that.
Meanwhile, when Opposition’s demand for the right to reply was rejected by the chairman Dhankhar, the opposition walked out.
Mr Chouhan further said the government had launched an Oilseeds Mission worth 68,000 crore rupees and expanded irrigation to 1.3 lakh hectares.
During the Zero Hour TMC MP Derek O’Brien urged the government to reduce 18 per cent GST on health insurance policies, saying the high tax rate is burdening people, especially the middle class.
Renuka Chowdhury of Congress expressed concern over the banks not issuing credit cards to senior citizens. Jebi Mather Hisham of the same party raised the issue of high airfares to Gulf countries during the June to September holiday season.
Sanjay Singh of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) urged the government to implement the recommendations of a parliamentary standing committee for free treatment of 25 per cent of cancer patients at private hospitals, and free treatment of children suffering from cancer.
Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba of BJP demanded that the 500-year-old all-women-run market of Ima Keithel in Manipur be declared as a living cultural heritage site while his party colleague Darshana Singh raised concerns over open bore wells in the country. Muzibulla Khan of BJD drew attention to incomplete national highway projects in Odisha.
Samik Bhattacharya of the BJP raised the issue of fake currency in circulation in the country.
On Monday, the Lok Sabha approved expenditure demands of about 140 lakh crore rupees pertaining to different ministries of the central government. The House approved the demands for grants as well as the Appropriation Bill authorising the government to use certain sums out of the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year 2024-25. This followed a guillotine being applied after taking up a discussion on demands for grants of ministries of Railways, Education, Health and Fisheries.
Earlier, Health Minister J P Nadda, replying to a debate on the Demand for Grants for his Ministry in the Lok Sabha, listed the increase in number of medical colleges, steps taken to reduce out-of-pocket expenses on healthcare and initiatives for early screening of diseases like cancer and anemia. He urged the state governments to spend more on improving health infrastructure. The Minister said the health budget now stands at 1.9 percent of the GDP, and is steadily increasing towards reaching the goal of 2.5 percent.
The Health Minister said states were not able to spend even half of the budgetary allocation of 4,200 crore rupees in last year’s budget.
Thereafter the Lok Sabha took up a debate on the Demands for Grants for the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy.
Initiating the debate, Trinamool Congress MP Saayoni Ghosh flagged concerns over the increase in fodder prices, and the death of cattle due to lumpy cow disease.
BJP MP Dushyant Singh said animal husbandry has a big role in doubling the income of farmers.
Benny Benhan of Congress talked about the impact of climate change on those who depend on fishing and livestock.
Naresh Chandra Uttam Patel of Samajwadi Party said the Uttar Pradesh government is not making any efforts to deal with the issue of stray cattle in the State.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, meanwhile introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to provide reservation to Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Lok Sabha said that India is monitoring the situation of minorities in Bangladesh and is in close touch with the Indian community there through its diplomatic missions.
In a statement in the House, Mr Jaishankar said India remains deeply concerned till law and order is restored in the neighbouring country. Border guarding forces have been instructed to be exceptionally alert in view of the complex situation.
Mr Jaishankar also briefed the MPs on former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “very short notice” request to come to India “for the moment”.
Ms Hasina arrived in India on Monday evening in a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft, presumably on her way to London or some other European destination.
In the Zero Hour, Congress MP Manish Tewari made a mention on the situation in Bangladesh and asked the government to specify what steps it has taken to maintain political stability in the South Asian region.
Initiating the debate on the Finance Bill, Amar Singh of Congress suggested that those up to 5 lakh rupees income should be exempted from Income Tax.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra criticized the budget for failing to address the needs of the common people.
On Tuesday External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the situation in Bangladesh.
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi meanwhile informed the Rajya Sabha that total renewable energy generated in India in the last 10 years has increased from 193.5 billion units to 359.89 billion units. He was replying to a discussion on the working of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
The opposition had walked out of the house during his reply, objecting to his allegations of receiving political funding from China.
During the Zero Hour, Fauzia Khan of NCP expressed concern in the Rajya Sabha over the exposure of children to the violent content in online video games and asked the government to regulate it.
On Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Lok Sabha that the contentious LTCG tax proposal on real estate is being amended to give option to taxpayers to compute tax liability under the old system or at reduced rates without indexation, and pay the lower of the two.
Replying to a debate on the Finance Bill, the Finance Minister said the rollover benefit will be available to taxpayers who buy new immovable property utilising the capital gains on the sale of old property.
The Budget, presented on July 23, had proposed a lower 12.5 per cent rate of LTCG tax, down from 20 per cent, while doing away with the indexation benefit.
The House later approved the Finance Bill with 45 official amendments.
Earlier, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Mansukh Mandaviya made a statement in the Lok Sabha on the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat at the Paris Olympics. He said the government has provided all possible assistance to Phogat.
Dissatisfied with the Minister’s reply, the opposition parties walked out from the Lok Sabha.
During Zero Hour, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam of Congress said the Union Government must take stern action against communal and divisive forces that have wreaked havoc in Manipur.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi called on the government to declare the recent calamity in Kerala’s Wayanad a national disaster and demanded higher compensation for the affected people.
On Wednesday, during Zero Hour, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a clarification from the government on the removal of Preamble from the NCERT textbooks.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed the House that in the new textbooks of Class VI, preamble is very much there.
Vikramjit Singh Sahney of Aam Aadmi Party raised concerns over the high fees charged by the educational institutions. Responding to the issue, Mr Jayant Chaudhary said, education comes under the Concurrent list and State Governments have a bigger role and duties.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the House that the government is taking steps to ensure the coastal security and helping the coastal states by improving their infrastructure.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Appropriation (No 2) Bill and Jammu and Kashmir AppropriationF (No.3) Bill, 2024 in the Rajya Sabha.
Initiating the discussion on the bills, Digvijaya Singh of Congress said the focus of the government should be on reducing the disparity between rich and poor, tackling price rise and generating employment.
Derek O’Brien of TMC asked the Finance Minister to roll back 18 per cent GST on health insurance and life insurance.
V Vijaysai Reddy of YSRCP asked the government to make pension tax-free.
Bhubaneswar Kalita of BJP cited various developmental works taken up by the Union government, especially in the North East region.
During discussion on the bills, the opposition members kept sloganeering demanding justice for Phogat and walked out. The Chairman said those who walked out from this house have walked out of their constitutional duty.
On Thursday, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced The Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha and proposed sending it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee after Opposition parties raised objections. The bill proposes far-reaching changes in the Wakf Act, 1995.
Mr Rijiju also introduced a bill to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923, a colonial-era legislation.
Janata Dal (United) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ asserted that The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was not anti-Muslim and it was not an attempt to interfere with the functioning of mosques.
Earlier, Congress MP K C Venugopal accused the government of violating freedom of religion and bringing the legislation with an eye on the upcoming assembly polls.
Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav, Supriya Sule of NCP (Pawar) and Asaduddin Owaisi of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen also opposed the bill.
The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024, which seeks to replace the Aircraft Act 1934, was also taken up for consideration and passage by the House.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu underscored the need for the new legislation.
Mr Naidu said that the new Bill would address the current discrepancies and help the industry grow.
During the debate on the bill, many MPs stressed that the government should control the rising airfares and there should be a transparent civil aviation policy to develop the aviation sector.
On Thursday the Rajya Sabha returned Appropriation and Finance Bills to Lok Sabha after brief discussion and reply by the Minister. Earlier, these bills were approved by the Lok Sabha.
The government meanwhile withdrew the Waqf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Bill 2014 in the Rajya Sabha.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal introduced The Boilers Bill, 2024. It provides for the regulation of boilers, safety of life and property of persons from the danger of explosions.
Earlier in the day Rajya Sabha Chairman left the House after heated arguments with TMC leader and some other Opposition members who were not permitted to raise the issue of disqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics.
Trouble started in the morning session when Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the Phogat issue but Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar did not allow. This followed heated exchanges between the Chair and TMC leader Derek O’Brien.
Leader of the House J P Nadda condemned the behaviour of Opposition members and accused the Congress of politicising the issue.
On Friday, the government introduced the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, the Bills of Lading Bill and the Railways (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.
On the 82nd anniversary of the Quit India Movement, Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to the martyrs and those who participated in the Movement.
The Lok Sabha also lauded the Indian hockey team and Neeraj Chopra for winning medals at the Paris Olympics.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024 to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act and further improve the ease of doing business in the aviation sector.
The Lok Sabha also adopted a motion naming 21 of its members to be part of a joint committee of Parliament to examine the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
A bill was also introduced in the Lok Sabha to grant statutory powers to the Railway Board.
During the Zero Hour, BJP MP Anurag Thakur alleged that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has not spoken on ensuring the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde raised concerns over the rising popularity of gaming applications.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said non-tariff barrier on import of polyester fibre has made it expensive.
Later, the House was adjourned sine die, one day ahead of the schedule.
On Friday, the Rajya Sabha adopted a motion to nominate 10 members of the House to the joint parliamentary committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Earlier in the day, the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and actor-politician Jaya Bachchan were involved in a face-off after Ms Bachchan raised objection to his tone. Opposition parties staged a walkout over the issue.
During Zero Hour in the House, members from different political parties raised issues of public importance.
The House also commemorated the 82nd anniversary of the Quit India Movement.
After multiple adjournments in the post-lunch session, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed his concern over the conduct of Opposition members and adjourned the House sine die, one day ahead of the schedule.
