News Analysis India

Tag: parliament monsoon session

  • Monsoon Session: Modi government may consider discussion on Covid management, price rise

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government may consider a discussions on the country’s Covid management and price rise in the upcoming Monsoon Session to ensure smooth functioning of both Houses of parliament, sources said here Friday.

    Opposition is expected to raise these issues in the session beginning July 19.

    It will be the first session of parliament after the outbreak of the devastating second wave of Covid.

    The government has started doing its homework to prepare the ground for smooth functioning of the Houses with newly appointed Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal meeting several prominent Opposition leaders including former prime minister and Congress veteran Manmohan Singh and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

    Sources said it has also been suggested that the ministers of state, especially the newly-appointed ones, spend more time in Rajya Sabha to get equipped with parliamentary procedures, rules and presentation of speeches.

    They can go to Lok Sabha when there is any roster duty or their respective legislative business is listed, they said.

    Talking about the legislative business for the session, the sources said, around 17 new bills are listed, while four are pending in Lok Sabha and three in Rajya Sabha.

    Three of the bills seek to replace corresponding ordinances issued recently.

    An ordinance has to be laid before both Houses of parliament and shall cease to operate at the expiration of six weeks or 42 days from the reassembly of Parliament.

    One of the ordinances was issued on June 30 prohibiting any agitation and strike by anyone engaged in the essential defence services.

    The Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021 came in the backdrop of the announcement by major federations of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to go on indefinite strike from the later part of July to protest the government’s decision to corporatise the OFB.

    The Essential Defence Service Bill, 2021 has been listed to replace the ordinance, according to a Lok Sabha bulletin issued on July 12.

    The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021 is another bill that seeks to replace an ordinance.

    According to the government, the ordinance was brought to provide a permanent solution and establish a self-regulated, democratically monitored mechanism for tackling air pollution in the NCR and adjoining areas, rather than limited ad-hoc measures.

    The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021 also seeks to replace an ordinance issued recently.

    The proposed bill seeks to provide speedier, cost-effective, semi-formal and less disruptive framework for insolvency resolution of corporate debtors in distress.

    Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has convened a meeting of leaders of various political parties on Saturday.

    The meeting will be held at the official residence of the Vice President at 5 PM, sources said.

    Over 40 leaders of different parties and ministers have so far confirmed their participation, they said.

    The opposition is likely to raise various issues like price rice and inflation, Rafale, Covid management and state of the econom.

    The Rajya Sabha has a new Leader of the House in Piyush Goyal, after Thaawarchand Gehlot resigned and became the Governor of Karnataka.

    Goyal met former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Friday and Anand Sharma on Thursday evening.

  • Government convenes all-party meet ahead of Monsoon session of Parliament

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government has convened an all-party meeting on Sunday ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament, sources said.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has invited leaders of political parties for the meet in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be present, they said.

    Such meets are convened to ensure smooth functioning of the House during the session.

    The Monsoon session begins on July 19 and would conclude on August 13.

  • Petrol prices, COVID, farmers movement to top Trinamool’s agenda in monsoon session

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress is likely to raise the issue of hike in fuel prices, alleged mishandling of COVID situation and farmers stir against the three agri laws to corner the BJP-led central government during upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, party sources said Tuesday.

    The Parliament session will commence from July 19 and end on August 13.

    “We will raise the issue of petrol price hike, COVID mishandling, farm bills and attempts to undermine the federal structure.

    “The people of the country are suffering due to several anti-people policies of the centre. We will raise those issues,” TMC Lok Sabha party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay told PTI.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee headed Trinamool Congress has 22 MPs in Lok Sabha and 11 in Rajya Sabha.

    In Lok Sabha, TMC and YSR Congress Party are the fourth largest with 22 MPs each after BJP, Congress and DMK.

    In the upper house TMC has third largest MPs after BJP and Congress.

    The upcoming monsoon session of Parliament will be the first after bitterly fought Bengal polls and the TMC is expected use every opportunity to pin down rival BJP.

    Echoing Bandopadhyay, party colleague Sougata Roy said the party would also raise the economic situation and how the BJP has failed to tackle it.

    “The fuel prices are not only triggering inflation in the country but also sent the economy for a toss. Its not just fuel prices.”

    “It is the anti-people, anti-poor policies that and mismanagement of the COVID situation that has pushed the economy to an all-time low,” Roy, TMC MP from Dum Dum said.

    Bandopadhyay also pointed out that while questioning the mishandling of the COVID situation, the parliamentary party would also discuss the eight-phase assembly polls in Bengal, leading to a spike in the COVID situation in the state.

    “While raising the issue of COVID, we would also point out how eight phases of elections were held in Bengal, which led to the spike in COVID cases.”

    “But, now the BJP leaders are planning to raise this issue to postpone assembly by-polls in six[i]seats in the state,” he said.

    He,however, stressed that the issues will be further sorted out after the all-party meeting on July 17.

    “We will also hold discussion with our party leadership on the outcome of the meeting and decide our course of action,” he said.

    Rakesh Tikiat and other farmers leaders of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had recently met Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata and she supported their cause.

    When asked whether the party would push for greater opposition unity in Parliament to corner the BJP, Bandopadhyay said it doesn’t depend only on the TMC.

    The party during this session would also push for disqualification of Sisir Adhikari and Sunil Mondal, who was elected as TMC MPs but switched over to the BJP ahead of the assembly polls.

    “We had already moved to Lok Sabha speaker, requesting him to initiate the process for disqualifying memberships of Sisir Adhikari and Sunil Mondal.

    “We would take that process forward during this session,” another senior TMC MP said, who did not wish to be named.

    Sisir Adhikari, MP from Kanthi, is father of Suvendu Adhikari, a protege-turned-rival of Mamata Banerjee.

  • Will protest every day outside Parliament during monsoon session: Samyukt Kisan Morcha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A group of around 200 farmers will protest against the Centre’s three farm laws in front of Parliament every day during the monsoon session, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) announced on Sunday.

    The umbrella body of over 40 farmer unions said at a press conference that two days before the session begins, a “chetavani patra” (warning letter) will be given to all the opposition MPs to protest the laws inside the House.

    “We will also ask the opposition MPs on July 17 to raise the issue every day inside the House while we will sit outside in protest. We will tell them to not to benefit the Centre by walking out of a session. Don’t let the session run till the government addresses the issue,” farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said.

    Parliament’s monsoon session is set to begin on July 19.

    “We will continuously protesting outside Parliament till they hear our demands,” Charuni said.

    He added that five people from each farmer union would be taken to join the protest.

    The SKM also called for a nationwide protest on July 8 against the rising prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders.

    It asked people to come out and park their vehicles at state and national highways from 10 am till 12 pm.

    “Whatever vehicle you have, tractor, trolley, car, scooter, just bring it to the nearest state or national highway and park it there. But don’t create a traffic jam,” he said.

    He also asked for LPG cylinders to be brought to the protest.

  • Monsoon session of parliament to commence on July 19

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The monsoon session of parliament will commence on July 19 and conclude on August 13.

    “The sixth session of the 17th Lok Sabha will commence on July 19. Subject to exigencies of government business, the session is likely to conclude on August 13,” a Lok Sabha release said.

    Rajya Sabha press communique said that President Ram Nath Kovind has summoned the House to meet on July 19 and the session will continue till August 13.

    The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) had earlier recommended the dates for holding the session.

    This will be the first session of parliament since the results of assembly polls in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

    There has been an easing of the COVID-19 situation in the country with the cases seeing a sharp drop compared to that in the second wave of the pandemic earlier this year. The vaccination drive has also been stepped up.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had said last month that the government is hopeful that the monsoon session of parliament will begin as per its normal schedule in July.

    He hoped that members of the parliament (MPs) and parliament staff will be vaccinated against COVID-19 by July.

    The timing and duration of parliament sessions have been impacted due to the situation created by COVID-19. Last year, the monsoon session began in September and the winter session was not held due to the COVID-19 situation.