News Analysis India

Tag: Parliament

  • BJP to introduce private members’ bills on population control, uniform civil code in Monsoon session

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: BJP MPs will introduce private members’ bills on population control and uniform civil code in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, according to information from the secretariats of both Houses.

    The private members’ bill on population control comes close on the heels of the law commission of BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country, putting up a draft bill on the issue on its website, inviting suggestions from the public till July 19.

    BJP Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh Ravi Kishan and Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan Kirori Lal Meena are scheduled to introduce the private members’ bills on population control and uniform civil code respectively in the very first week of the Parliament session which is starting from July 19.

    A bill introduced by a member other than a minister is known as a private member’s bill and there is little possibility of it becoming a law without the government’s support.

    The proposed legislations on population control and uniform civil code, issues that usually trigger heated polemics in the country, are in line with the BJP’s ideological agenda.

    Opposition parties have criticised the BJP’s moves in this regard, claiming that they are aimed at targeting one specific community, while the BJP has accused them of pursuing appeasement politics.

    According to the details available with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, Kishan and Meena will get an opportunity to introduce their respective private members’ bills on July 24, which was decided through the lottery system.

    A notice for a similar bill on population control has also been given by BJP MP in Rajya Sabha Rakesh Sinha.

    The proposed legislations on population control emphasise on deincentivising couples having more than two children, by making them ineligible for government jobs and subsidies on various facilities and goods given by the government.

    The draft UP population control bill says people having more than two children will be debarred from contesting local bodies polls, applying for government jobs or receiving any kind of subsidy.

    Similar legislation is under discussion in another BJP-ruled state Assam.

    Meanwhile, Vishva Hindu Parishad, a member of the ruling BJP’s ideological family, has objected to the one-child policy norm of the draft population control bill in UP, saying it is likely to further increase the imbalance between different communities and contract the population as well.

    “The preamble of the bill states that this is a bill, inter alia, to stabilise the population and promote the two-child norm. The Vishva Hindu Parishad agrees with both objects,” the organisation’s working president, Alok Kumar, said in a letter to the Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission (UPSCL) on Monday.

    However, Sections 5, 6(2) and 7 of the bill, which incentivise public servants and others to have only one child in the family, go “well beyond the said objects”, he said.

    Asked about the bill he intends to introduce, Sinha said population growth has been ringing an “alarm bell” for the country and asserted that a central law is “most required” as it will be applicable across the nation.

    The unchecked population growth needs to be regulated, he said.

    Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a critical intervention in the debate over the issue during his speech on August 15, Sinha said that Modi had called for a balance between resources and population.

    The discourse over the issue should not be seen through caste and religious angles, Sinha said.

    According to PRS Legislative, no private members’ bills have been passed by Parliament since 1970.

    A total of 14 such bills have received Parliament’s nod.

  • Supreme Court takes strict view on unruly behaviour of lawmakers in parliament & assemblies

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said it has to take a “strict” view of unruly behaviour of lawmakers in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies as such incidents are “increasing now-a-days” and this sort of conduct cannot be condoned.

    The apex court, which was hearing pleas relating to a criminal case lodged in connection with ruckus inside Kerala Assembly in 2015 during the previous Congress-led UDF rule, said it must be ensured that decorum is maintained in the House.

    “Prima facie, we have to take a very strict view on this kind of behaviour. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable” a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah said while referring to the incident in Kerala Assembly.

    “We must ensure that some decorum is maintained. These are sentinels of democracy,” the bench said, adding, “Such type of incidents are increasing now a days. In the parliament also, it is happening and one has to be strict on this.”

    One of the pleas was filed by the Kerala government which has challenged the March 12 order of the high court dismissing its petition seeking withdrawal of a criminal case registered in connection with the ruckus inside the state Assembly in 2015.

    The state assembly had witnessed unprecedented scenes on March 13, 2015 as LDF members, then in opposition, tried to prevent then finance minister KM Mani, who was facing allegations in the bar bribery scam, from presenting the state budget.

    Besides flinging the speaker’s chair from the podium, electronic equipment like computers, keyboards and mikes on the desk of the presiding officer were also allegedly damaged by the LDF members. The case, which also involves V Sivankutty who is a minister in the state, was registered against a group of then LDF MLAs and others.

    During the hearing conducted on Monday through video-conferencing, the apex court referred to the incident in the Kerala Assembly and observed that the MLAs had obstructed presentation of finance budget and such behaviour cannot be accepted.

    “We will not condone this kind of behaviour of MLAs who, on the floor of the house, throw mikes and destroys public property. They were MLAs and they were representing people. What message are they giving to the public,” said the bench, which posted the matter for hearing on July 15.

    One has to take strict view on such conduct otherwise there would be no deterrence to this kind of behaviour, it said, adding that those involved in such behaviour should face trial under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

    “This kind of behaviour cannot be condoned,” it said, adding, “What is the larger public interest in shielding an MLA who was obstructing presentation of finance budget in the House.”

    When one of the counsel said the MLAs were protesting against the then finance minister against whom there were corruption allegations, the bench said irrespective of that, “presentation of finance budget is of utmost importance”.

    On the issue of application under section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which deals with withdrawal from prosecution, the bench observed that it is the prerogative of the public prosecutor.

    In its plea filed in the apex court, the Kerala government has claimed that high court had failed to appreciate that the alleged incident had occurred while the Assembly was in session and no crime could have been registered “without previous sanction” of the speaker.

    “The FIR registered by the secretary Legislative Assembly without the consent of the speaker is wrong and therefore, the application filed under section 321 CrPC is liable to be allowed,” said the plea filed by the state.

    The plea has sought a stay on the March 12 order of the high court and also on further proceedings in the case, which is pending before a trial court.

    It has said because the act of accused persons being in relation to their function to protest as members of the legislative assembly, the MLAs, who are accused in the FIR, were entitled to get protection under the Constitution.

    It said that Article 105(3), 194(3) of the Constitution of India confers certain privileges and immunities to the members of Parliament and state legislature and therefore, it was not proper for the secretary of the Legislative Assembly to file cases against MLAs with regard to an incident which happened on the floor of House during the protest made by opposition members, that too, without the consent of the speaker.

    “The allegation in the present case has admittedly happened during the budget session of the Legislature as a part of the protest by opposition members of Legislative Assembly against the budget presentation by the then finance minister due to the then prevailing political reasons,” it said.

    The state government had moved the high court against an order of the trial court which had dismissed an application filed by the public prosecutor seeking permission to withdraw from prosecution against the accused in the case.

    In its plea filed in the top court, the state has said there was no evidence to show that the application submitted by the public prosecutor was “not in good faith”.

    The case was registered for the alleged offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 447 (criminal trespass), and under the provision of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

  • We will take request for virtual meetings of standing committees to Rules Committee: LS Speaker

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has said that the demand by some standing committee chairmen to hold meetings of standing committees virtually will be examined by the Rules Committee and noted that the existing rules state that proceedings of these panels should be held in private.

    In an interview with ANI, the Speaker said parliamentary committees discuss matters of public interests, rising above the party lines.

    He said chairmen of some parliamentary committees had made a request to hold meetings virtually in view of the situation created by COVID-19.

    “Since meetings of the committees are classified as per Lok Sabha rules, they should not be held virtually or come in the public domain. We will take this request to our Rules Committee and discuss it,” Birla said.

    Rule 266 of rules of procedure and conduct of business in Lok Sabha states that “the sittings of a Committee shall be held in private”.

    Rule 267 states that the sittings of a Committee shall be held within the precincts of the Parliament House, and if it becomes necessary to change the place of sitting outside the Parliament House, the matter shall be referred to the Speaker whose decision shall be final.

    ALSO READ | Steps taken by Speaker Om Birla enriched parliamentary democracy, enhanced productivity: PM Modi 

    The rules also state that all persons other than members of the committee and officers of the Lok Sabha Secretariat “shall withdraw” whenever the committee is deliberating.

    Birla said that last time 2664 recommendations were made by parliamentary committees of which 1762 were accepted by the government.

    “Definitely, parliamentary committees hold significance,” he said.

    With the decline in COVID-19 cases, parliamentary committees have resumed their physical meetings.

    The Speaker, who has completed two years as Lok Sabha Speaker, said his attempt has been to give sufficient time to the party which has even a single member in the House.

    “In a democracy, our effort should be to respect views of Opposition members. My attempt has been to give sufficient time to the party which has even a single member in the House. In a democracy, decisions should be taken based on a broad consensus and not just majority,” he said.

    Birla, who has laid a lot of thrust on the smooth functioning of the House, said he has politely told members that showing placards and raising slogans in the well of the House were not good practices.

    The Speaker said his efforts have been that no one needs to come to the well of the House.

    “Parliament members argue that it is the tradition to show placards and raise slogans in well of the House in case of differences. I politely told them that such traditions aren’t good. My attempt has been to ensure that no one needs to come in the well,” he told ANI.

    Answering a query about the factional feud in the Lok Janshakti Party, he said matter of LJP “is not of defection but of the election of the leader of parliamentary party”.

    “They held a meeting of the parliamentary party and submitted proceedings of the meeting to Lok Sabha Secretariat, which after verification, recognized the leader elected by them,” he said.

    Pashupati Ram Paras was recognised as the leader of LJP in Lok Sabha in place of Chirag Paswan after the five of six party MPs gave a letter in his support.

  • Govt driven by headlines, not deadlines, says Congress, demands Parliament session to discuss vaccine policy

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre should clarify in Parliament its policy and roadmap for providing COVID vaccines to all by December, the Congress said on Tuesday, as it alleged that the government was driven by headlines and not deadlines and asked why people still have to pay for the jabs at private hospitals.

    Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said all Indians should get free vaccination for COVID-19 and there should be no mandatory registration on the CoWIN app as there are many who do not have digital access.

    The party also demanded transparency in the allocation of vaccines to the states and a Parliament session for discussing the policy and approval to fresh budgets required for vaccinating all.

    Ramesh said there should be no discrimination in vaccine distribution and the government should follow the principle of cooperative federalism.

    “This government is headline-driven and not deadline-driven,” Ramesh said at an online press conference, asking the government to come forth with its policy and roadmap towards increasing inoculations and achieving the objective of providing vaccines to all by December 2021.

    Training his guns on the prime minister, he alleged, “The PM was sleeping and woke up from ‘kumbhakaran ki neend’ (deep slumber) after the Supreme Court intervened and reprimanded the government”.

    “It is a collective crisis brought about by the failures and ego of only one person and the entire country is suffering because of that,” Ramesh alleged.

    He said 30 lakh doses of vaccine were administered every day in April 2021, but in May only 16 lakh doses per day were given.

    ALSO READ |  Jab allocation based on population, disease burden, progress of vaccination and wastage: Centre in new guidelines

    Expressing satisfaction that in June, 30 lakh doses per day were administered, he, however, added that “if we have to vaccinate 100 crore people by December this year, then we need to administer a minimum of 80 lakh doses of the vaccine every day”.

    “What is the roadmap and policy in achieving this, and how will the vaccines come and from where. The prime minister has not said anything about this.

    “We want that the central government, the prime minister and the health minister should take the public in confidence about increasing the vaccinations from the present to 80 lakh doses a day,” he said.

    Questioning the government’s policy, he said it is not clear on what basis and at what price will the private hospitals deliver the vaccine.

    “We have demanded that vaccination must be free to all citizens at both government and private hospitals and centres,” the Congress leader said alleging that 50 percent of vaccines meant for private hospitals have been monopolised by nine private hospitals and termed it as a “very dangerous situation”.

    People across the world, be it the US or the UK, are not made to pay for the vaccines, he noted.

    ALSO READ | Hopeful of holding Monsoon Session of Parliament on schedule in July: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

    Ramesh claimed that the mandatory registration on the CoWIN website would exclude a large number of people who do not have digital access in remote centres.

    “We want non-mandatory Cowin registration for vaccinations, which should be walk-in,” he said.

    “The government must work out a transparent allocation formula in consultation with states for providing vaccines to states, as we have seen that BJP-ruled states have been favoured by the central government in the past in allocation of vaccines and medicines,” he alleged.

    The Congress leader said the government has earmarked Rs 35,000 crore for vaccines in the country and the same was passed in Parliament.

    Citing a news report, he said a total of Rs 50,000 crore would be spent on vaccination as per the latest announcement of free inoculations to all Indians in government hospitals.

    “If you need Rs 50,000 crore, call a Parliament session soon and get its nod after discussing the vaccination policy,” the Congress leader said, alleging that there is no shortage of money with the government but it has different priorities.

    He alleged that the government is “already spending Rs 20,000 crore on central vista project”.

    Responding to criticism by the BJP that it was the states who first wanted a greater role for them, Ramesh said that no state government would have objected to the union government procuring vaccines.

    After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday that the Centre will provide free vaccines to states for inoculation of all above 18 years of age, the Congress had said that the government was only acting on what the party had been insisting on.

    The BJP has accused the Congress and other opposition parties of “flip-flops” on the vaccine issue while failing to properly conduct the vaccination exercise in the states ruled by them.

    Ramesh said on April 18, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had given suggestions for changing vaccine strategy and he had made a demand for “one nation, once vaccine price”, after which on May 12 leaders of various parties raised the demand for free universal vaccination.

  • Hopeful of holding Monsoon Session of Parliament on schedule in July: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government is hopeful that the Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin on its normal schedule in July, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday amid the second wave of COVID-19.

    Since the pandemic began, three sessions of Parliament were curtailed and the winter session last year had to be cancelled.

    Last year, the Monsoon Session, which usually starts in July, had begun in September.

    Sources said the modalities of holding this year’s Monsoon Session are still being discussed.

    “I am hopeful that Parliament session will be held as per its normal schedule starting in July,” Joshi told PTI.

    The authorities are confident of holding the session in July itself as most of the parliamentarians, staff members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats and other stakeholders have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine.

  • Delhi COVID crisis: Lok Sabha Secretariat asks Parliament staff to work from home

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: All Parliament staffers will now work from home amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and a lockdown in the national capital, with the Lok Sabha Secretariat issuing an order to this effect on Sunday.

    The Rajya Sabha Secretariat had issued a similar order a few days ago instructing its employees to work from home.

    All employees working in Parliament will now work from home subject to exigencies of work, according to the orders.

    “Taking into consideration the extension of curfew in Delhi in wake of continued spike of COVID-19 cases, the competent authority has decided that all categories of employees of Lok Sabha Secretariat shall work from home, subject to exigencies of work,” according to the order issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced extension of the ongoing lockdown in the national capital for another week, saying the severity of COVID-19 is unabated and positivity rate has been as high as 36 per cent in the last few days.

    The lockdown imposed on April 19 night will now continue till 5 AM on May 3, he said.

    Before extension, it was scheduled to end at 5 AM on April 26.

    However, government employees and those engaged in essential services are exempted from the lockdown restrictions.

  • COVID-19: Congress writes to President, urges for emergency Parliament session

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country, Congress leader Manish Tewari Monday urged President Ram Nath Kovind to convene a two-day emergency session of Parliament to evolve a national policy to deal with the grave situation.

    A monumental tragedy is unfolding in the country, and the President must exercise his special powers to convene an emergency session, the Congress MP said.

    He also alleged the ongoing vaccination drive was not being carried out properly, and there was a shortage of beds, medical oxygen, life-saving medicines and vaccines everywhere.

    “Call a two-day emergency session of Parliament now. Situation in nation is turning grave,” Tewari said in his appeal to the President.

    “A Monumental Tragedy of epic proportions is unfolding across India. No Hospital beds, no Oxygen, No Vaccination. While Nero’s of BJP are busy politicking in West Bengal, the nation burns. President of India must summon emergency two day session of Parliament,” Tewari said on Twitter.

    He alleged that crematoriums and burial grounds were unable to manage the coronavirus dead, and Parliament must meet to together evolve a nation-wide policy to deal with the grim situation.

    India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases crossed the 1.50-crore mark with around 25 lakh cases being added in just 15 days, while active cases surpassed the 19-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

    A record single-day rise of 2,73,810 coronavirus infections were reported on Monday, according to the health ministry.

    The death toll also increased to 1,78,769 with a record 1,619 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

    The country’s total COVID-19 infections had surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19 after which it took 107 days to cross the 1.25 crore on April 5.

    However, it only took 15 days for the cases to cross the 1.50-crore mark.

  • Parliamentary panel for strict action on officers not filing property returns

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  A Parliamentary standing committee has called for stringent measures other than denial of vigilance clearance against those officers who have failed to submit their annual immovable property return within the scheduled time. 

    It has also recommended the DoPT and the CVC to increase surveillance on such officials. 

    As many as 349 IAS officers have not submitted their annual immovable property returns for the year 2020 in the stipulated time limit.

    As per All India Services (Conduct) Rule, 1968, every service member is required to submit an annual return in such form as may be prescribed by the Government in this regard, giving full particulars regarding of their immovable property. 

    The panel said a list of the 349 IAS officers who have not submitted their IPRs was shared with DoPT for action to be taken as per the AIS (Conduct) Rules. 

    It noted with concern that the 349 IAS officers have not submitted their returns in the stipulated time limit.

    During the examination of Demands for Grants (2020-21), the Committee was informed that 338 IAS officers had not filed Immovable Property Returns for 2019.

    “This makes a case for institution of stringent measures other than denial of vigilance clearance against  erring officers,” it said.

  • CSIR suggests sewage, air surveillance systems in Parliament to detect COVID-19 prevalence

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A presentation suggesting the setting up of sewage and air surveillance systems in Parliament to detect the prevalence of COVID-19 was made before Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday.

    Elaborating on the relevance of sewage surveillance in his presentation, Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Shekhar C Mande said, “COVID-19 patients shed SAR-CoV-2 in stools. Apart from symptomatic individuals, asymptomatic people also shed the virus in their stools.”

    Sewage surveillance provides a qualitative as well as a quantitative estimate of the number of people infected in a population and could be used to understand the progression of COVID-19 even when mass scale tests for individuals are not possible, an official statement said quoting the CSIR chief.

    It is a measure to comprehensively monitor the prevalence of the disease in communities in real time, Mande said.

    Presenting data of sewage surveillance carried out to find the trend of infection in Hyderabad, Allahabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Puducherry and Chennai, he said it provides an unbiased estimate of numbers since the sampling is not done at the individual level.

    On the other hand, the numbers obtained by regular testing depend on the number of individuals tested.

    Mande said that sewage surveillance of COVID-19 would not only help understand the present epidemiology of the disease but would be an indispensable tool for early and easier detection of future coronavirus outbreaks.

    He also suggested setting up an air sampling system to monitor viral particles and potential infectivity threat.

    The vice president, who is also chairperson of Rajya Sabha, said he would discuss the issue with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the government.

  • 3,095 criminal cases pending against lawmakers, 68% from UP

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  As many as 3,095 criminal cases are pending against MPs and MLAs across the country with over 68 per cent cases accounting from UP (2,127) alone, according to the Law Ministry. 

    Responding to a question on politicians with criminal background in Parliament on Thursday,  the government said there was no proposal under consideration for prescribing a life-time ban on politicians who have been convicted in criminal cases.

    Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a total of 12 special courts have been set up in 11 states/UTs to hear criminal cases involving politicians in pursuance of a Supreme Court order. 

    While two such courts have been set up in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, MP, UP, Bihar and Bengal have one special court each for expeditious trial and disposal of criminal cases involving elected MPs/ MLAs, Prasad said.