News Analysis India

Tag: Om Birla

  • Sachin Waze case: MP Navneet Rana accuses Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant of threatening her

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Amravati MP Navneet Rana on Monday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant of threatening her after she raised the Sachin Waze issue in the House.

    She also sought police action against the south Mumbai MP.

    After she raised the issue, Sawant threatened her in the Lok Sabha’s lobby, saying “I will see how you roam in Maharashtra,” Rana alleged.

    The former Union minister also threatened that she will be put in jail, she claimed.

    Rana, an independent MP, also said that she had in the past received death and acid attack threats on the Shiv Sena’s letterhead and also over phone.

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    “The way Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant has threatened me, it is not only my insult, but the insult of all the women of the country. Hence, I demand strict action against Sawant,” she added.

    Rana raised the Waze issue in the Lok Sabha as the BJP demanded resignation of the Maharashtra government headed by Uddhav Thackeray in the wake of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s claim that the state’s Home Minister Anil Deshmukh set a Rs 100-crore collection target for the police every month.

    Singh had also claimed that Deshmukh asked Waze to help with collection of money.

    Rana claimed that Thackeray had spoken to then Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking reinstatement of Waze who was under suspension following the Khwaja Yunus custodial death case.

    “The then chief minister flatly refused. But when the current chief minister (Thackeray) took charge, the first decision he took was to reinstate Waze. Because of the chief minister such things are happening in Maharashtra,” she said.

    The NIA is probing Waze’s alleged role in placing an explosives-laden SUV outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence on February 25.

  • Parliament, Assemblies worked together amid COVID, contributed to govt’s efforts: Om Birla

    Birla said this collective cooperation is our source of strength. We should strengthen our collective efforts and try to make them even more effective.

  • Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to address Meghalaya MLAs

    By PTI
    SHILLONG: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will address the MLAs of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly during his two-day visit to the state later this month, officials said on Saturday.

    Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had invited the Lok Sabha Speaker to visit the state, they said.

    Birla is scheduled to address the state legislators on February 25.

    He will also inspect the construction of the new Meghalaya Assembly building at New Shillong, according to a statement from the Assembly The new assembly building is being built at a cost of Rs 127 crore.

    Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh inspected the construction of the new Assembly building at New Shillong on Friday.

    Metbah said that the construction work has been progressing at a smooth pace and the contactor is confident of handing over the new building to the state government by February 2022.

  • Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma invites Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to visit state

    By PTI
    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Delhi and informed him about the progress of construction of the new state Assembly building and invited him to visit the hill state, officials said.

    The chief minister was accompanied by state Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh.

    “Apprised him on the progress of the construction of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and invited him to visit Meghalaya and give an audience to all members of our legislative assembly,” the chief minister tweeted.

    A CMO statement said the chief minister and his colleagues also sought support and cooperation from the Centre for completion of the Assembly building by 2022.

    During the day, the chief minister also called on several Union Ministers.

    He called on Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and sough financial support from the Centre for improvement of New Shillong Township including the development of roads and other infrastructure.

    The chief minister also requested the Union Ministry’s support for the development of the aspiring Williamnagar Water Supply Scheme, the statement said.

    In a meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the chief minister intimated him regarding the implementation and progress of the ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission project in Meghalaya.

    The CM also sought the ministry’s support for the state government’s proposed initiative to rejuvenate Wah Umkhrah and Umshyrpi river.

    The CMO statement said, “the Union Minister spoke in support of the state government’s plans and instructed officials present in the meeting to ensure that the projects see the light of day.”

    Snagma also called on Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and apprised him of the ongoing construction of different sports infrastructure in the state.

    He sought the Ministry’s support to organize the proposed North East Youth Festival 2022 in Shillong, to commemorate the 50th year of Meghalaya’s statehood.

  • Modi government acts in haste, repents in leisure: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi

    By Express News Service
    HYDERABAD: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi who attended the all-party meeting held by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla raised the issues of China and its incursion into the Indian territory, farm laws and minority affairs.

    “I demanded that a discussion be held on continuous Chinese intrusions on our territories in Sikkim, Ladakh, and Arunachal Pradesh. It’s not acceptable to say Chinese occupation is a sensitive matter and no discussion can happen. There are adequate protections in parliamentary procedure to allow a discussion. We have seen many images & reports in media. As MPs we have a right to seek answers from government,” Owaisi said.

    On minority affairs, the Hyderabad MP pointed out that there has only been one discussion on the subject since he was been elected as an MP. On farm laws, Owaisi said, “When farm laws were proposed we had demanded that they be sent to the Standing Committee. If BJP had followed these processes, it wouldn’t have been so surprised by the backlash.”

    “Now looking at the opposition, it’s decided to suspend the laws for one-and-a-half years. This attitude of acting in haste & repenting in leisure not only harms citizens but also damages sanctity of Parliament. Learn to listen to public representatives, learn to respect democractic process,” he added.

  • Subsidy on food served in Parliament canteens ends, will save several crores: Birla

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Ahead of the Budget session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced that food subsidies on canteens for the MPs have completely been withdrawn. 

    On the lines of the Monsoon session, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha will function for four hours in separate shifts, while the Question Hour and Zero Hour will be taken up by the two Houses. 

    The food subsidies on the canteens for the MPs roughly cost the exchequer Rs 8 crore a year that now stand completely withdrawn. Birla also said the management of the canteens is being handed over to the ITDC that had been run by the Northern Railways so far. 

    Officials in the Lok Sabha secretariat said more than the MPs, the Parliament staff may feel the pinch of the latest move since they stay put for long hours, while the lawmakers often leave for their residences at short distances from the Parliament to take lunch and dinner.

    While the Upper House will function from 9 am to 2 pm, the Lower House will be in session between 4 pm and 9 pm. The Budget session is commencing from January 29, with the inaugural address by President Ram Nath Kovind to the joint session of the two Houses. 

    The Budget will be presented on February 1. On the lines of the Covid-19 protocols followed during the Monsoon session, the MPs will have to undertake the screening for the virus, with the facilities being arranged for the testing near their residences as well. 

    Incidentally, the Monsoon session of Parliament had been adjourned sine die before the scheduled time after increasing number of MPs had tested positive for the infection. 

  • All MPs will be requested to undergo COVID-19 test before Budget session: Om Birla

    The Lok Sabha Speaker said all necessary coronavirus related protocols, including maintaining social distancing and sanitisation, will be followed during the session.

  • Smooth transition of power in India after every election post-independence: Lok Sabha Speaker

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: The smooth transition of power after 17 General elections and over 300 Assembly polls in the country since independence is a sailent feature of Indian democracy, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Friday.

    Keeping the people at the centre of governance has been the basic concept of the Constitution and has deepened the faith of citizens in democracy, he said.

    Birla also said the country cannot be empowered without strengthening the Panchayati Raj institutions and making them more accountable to the people.

      Speaking at an outreach programme here to introduce and familiarise Panchayat representatives with the functioning of the Parliament and democratic principles, Birla said Gram Panchayats were the main force behind the strength of Indian democracy.

    “Smooth transition of power after these 17 General elections and over 300 Assembly polls is a speciality of our democracy.

    We have made efforts to strengthen democracy from Panchayat to Parliament,” the Lok Sabha Speaker said.

    “Panchayati Raj institutions like Gram Sabha have been our democratic traditions.

    Our concept of democracy is strong,” he said, addressing representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions.

    He said if Panchayati Raj institutions are run effectively and responsibly, a comprehensive change can be brought about in society.

    Birla also talked about the scope for development of rural tourism in Uttarakhand.

    Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat attended the programme virtually.

    “India is strong as a democracy due to the Panchayati Raj institutions.

    Development in urban centres is mutually dependent on rural development.

    Rural economy needs to be strong with a corruption-free model of development,” Rawat said.

    The programme was also attended by Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha Speaker Prem Chand Agarwal, Panchayati Raj minister of the state Arvind Pandey, Lok Sabha secretary general Utpal Kumar Singh among others.

    The programme was organised by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), Lok Sabha Secretariat in coordination with the Uttarakhand government.

  • TMC writes to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking disqualification of MP who joined BJP

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to disqualify party MP Sunil Kumar Mondal, who switched sides to the BJP in December.

    In a letter to Birla, the TMC’s Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that steps should be taken under anti-defection law against Mondal who had “voluntarily” given up membership of the party and joined the BJP at a rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 19.

    Mondal, the MP of Bardhaman Purba constituency, termed the move by the TMC as “vindictive”.

    “Although no express resignation has been received by the Trinamool Congress from the said Respondent (Mondal), yet the conduct of the Respondent in acting and participating in the rally is prejudicial to the interests of the Trinamool Congress,” Bandyopadhyay said in the letter.

    It is evident that Mondal has given up membership of the party, he said.

    The TMC leader cited a Supreme Court order which had stated that “even in the absence of a formal resignation from membership, an inference can be drawn from the conduct of the member that he has voluntarily given up his membership of the political party to which he belongs.”

    “In the above circumstances, I request you to take necessary steps for declaration that the respondent has become subject to disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution,” the letter said.

    The Tenth Schedule lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House.

    Describing the move by his former party as “vindictive”, Mondal alleged that during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he had faced “sabotage” from a section of the TMC against whom no action was taken as they are now well ensconced in the party.

    Mondal had in 2011 left the CPI(M) and joined the Forward Block.

    He joined the TMC in 2014 and after winning from Purba Bardhaman seat became an MP for the first time in 2019.