As the Budget session ended on Wednesday, as the Prime Minister pointed out, it was largely productive, with key Bills such as the ones pertaining to the GST, mental health, HIV/AIDS, and maternity benefits were passed.
The Lok Sabha had short duration discussion on sustainable development goals and the Rajya Sabha discussed Aadhaar and electoral reforms.
Live updates:
1:05 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die
1:00 pm: Mr. Ansari reads report on Rajya Sabha proceeding during Budget Session.
The House worked for 136 hours and 14 Bills were discussed.
205 zero hour submissions were made, 405 starred questions, 4629 unstarred questions were raised.
Private members introduced 33 Bills.
Members from last two rows contributed to 43 per cent of proceedings, says the Vice President.
12:53 pm: Digvijaya Singh picks holes in the written reply given by Culture Minister. He says the the party that came to forefront with Ram Mandir, is neglecting Sita.
No archeological survey conducted in the area yet, says the minister and that is why we haven't mentioned the birthplace as historic.
12:50 pm: Prabhat Jha wants to know if government is planning to develop Sitamadi, believed to be the birthplace of goddess Sita.
Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma says the place is part of Ramayana circuit and it will be developed in association with the State Minister.
12:43 pm: Vijaysai Reddy points out at the lack of communication infrastructure in police stations. Many stations don't have a functioning telephone lines, he says.
Minister Kiren Rijiju's response:
We formulated integrated criminal justice system. The six pillars we are looking at: policing, police stations, court, finger prints and forensic laboratories, criminal records, prison.
It is piloted in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
12:40 pm: Ravi Prakash Verma wants to know if government plans to make it mandatory to get e-vehicles for commuters who travel alone.
Mr. Supriyo says he too wanted to come to Parliament in bicycle, but there are "practical problems." It cannot be done by the ministry alone but we are looking at these avenues, says the minister.
12:30 pm: Vijila Sathyanath asks why there is a reduction in grant for production of electric vehicles. Babul Supriyo, MoS for Heavy Industries and Enterprises says his ministry is trying to create 'hype' for electric vehicles. A committee has been formed to look in to this.
Ms. Sathyanath asks the second question on FAME scheme. How much amount has been granted as incentive?
About 1.17 lakh electric vehicles have been produced in the country. This is a low figure. This is a new endeavour in the country and will take time to reap results.
12:25 pm: Question Hour is under way in Rajya Sabha. Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya is answering questions on ESI hospitals. The hospital network is expanded to 393 districts. 288 more districts will be covered, he says.
12:23 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.
12:20 pm : Speaker recounts the decisions taken in Lok Sabha during this session.
As many as 23 laws were passed this session, including maternity benefit Bill, mental health care Bill, footwear design Bill, taxation laws amendment Bill, motor vehicle amendment Bill, HIV Bill, four GST related bills.
136 starred questions were answered in the House, 541 matters of public importance, 494 special mentions, and SDG discussion were conducted.
Though the House lost 8 hours and 12 minutes in disruptions, Lok Sabha worked overtime for over 48 hours, says Speaker.
12:10 pm: Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is reading out the comprehensive list of business conducted in the Lok Sabha since the beginning of Lok Sabha.
For the first time a combined general budget absorbing railway budget was delivered.
A nearly full House in Lok Sabha with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi seated.
12:05 pm: Question Hour ends in Lok Sabha. Ministers and members lay papers on the Table.
12:00 noon: Question Hour begins in Rajya Sabha. Vice President Hamid Ansari is in the Chair.
Rajeev Chandrashekar raises questions on shortage of mine protected vehicles (MPV). How is the Home Ministry going to manage it to safegaurd CRPF personnel? MoS Home Affairs, Ahir says adequate MPVs are available in Left Wing Affected areas. More vehicles are being procured.
11:58 am: Rajya Sabha MP Prabhat Jha claims fake doctors are duping patients visiting AIIMS and Safdarjung hopitals. Poor and innocent people are exploited.
11:54 am: Shashi Tharoor asks if ministry will grant access to biotechnology research council to traditional medicinal practices.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan says there is no such bar.
11:45 am: Private schools are using education as a tool to make profits. This has to be curbed, says K.K. Rageesh. The HRD Ministry should ensure sufficient supply of CBSE books.
Mr. Javadekar says NCERT books were supplied to 2000 private schools and we will expand it.
11:42 am: Ramachandran says even international agencies have raised suspicion of cyber attacks. Huge deposits of monocite is there. No mock drills have been conducted so far. Health of workers are being affected.
Dr. Jithendra Singh accepts mock drills were not conducted, only in-house tests were conducted. Some elements are trying to extract thorium in the garb of getting granite licence. We are using satellite images to keep track on monocite exploration.
11:40 am: In Lok Sabha, Nanabhau Patole raises issue of threat to nuclear facilities in terms of cyber security.
PMO Minister says when it comes to foreign attacks, the issue is very wide other Ministries also involved. On issues related to Atomic Energy Ministry safety comes first before implementation. In depth defence is ensured. On cyber crime, we have set up to expert groups.
The previous government has also worked on this. The two groups work 24X7 on cyber security. The atomic energy system has been kept insulated. Such incidents have not been reported so far, if there is any cyber attack there is already a system of automatic shut down. And response to the threat is also automated mock tests are also conducted, he says.
11:33 am: Javed Ali Khan is raising how a television channel showing Sambhal in wrong shades. He says the channel is giving wrong facts by saying the Shahi Jama Masjid was a Shiv temple. The channel and its CMD should be prosecuted, he says.
Mr. Naqvi says media should have its freedom but not to an extent that it causes communal tension. He says the government will look in to it.
11:30 am: Chhaya Verma, a Chhattisgarh MP, highlights fee hike in Universities and lathicharge on students who demanded repeal. She says students of Panjab University were also beaten up.
Prakash Javadekar says Panjab University is not central university and the government cannot intervene.
11:26 am: Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha.
An SP member wants action against Naqvi in Central Wakf Council for speaking against freedom fighter Maulana.
A Punjab MP wants direct flight connectivity from Amritsar to other nations.
KVP Ramachandra Rao wants government to rein in narcotics cultivation and usage.
11:25 am: BJP member Ashok Nete raises issue of gauge conversion in the LWE areas in his constituency in Maharashtra.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, we have attempted to start the projects in LWE areas, we are setting up joint venture company with State govt to execute the projects..sanction has been given for converting all meter gauge into broad gauge lines this year.
State wise progress in gauge conversion would be given by the government to all MPs. We have allocated 3.5 lakh crore for rail service modernisation in past three years, says Minister.
11:20 am: Nihal Chand says frequency of mobile services in neighboring countries being detected in Indian territory. Minister says the issue is under consideration.
BJD member Tathagat Satpathy says the grievances not being addressed by BSNL, a mammoth govt owned company. Can its share be given to the staff as encouragement for better output?
Minister Manoj Sinha says such a proposal is not under consideration, the customer base of BSNL is increasing now. The tribal areas are our priority in terms of mobile services, says Minister.
11:19 am: In the LWE affected areas, the BSNL service is very poor in rural pockets, says another member in Lok Sabha.
Mr. Sinha says the government has never claimed that BSNL network is everywhere, rural areas are being covered gradually, for Andaman a separate plan has been made, States have been told to share info on areas not covered.
11:18 am: It is the last day of the Session and Digvijaya Singh's motion on powers of Governor was never discussed. An unhappy Mr. Singh says, "I am sorry that you were not able to protect my rights as a member."
11:15 am: Question Hour in Lok Sabha.
Janak Ram asks if BSNL network is being extended to rural pockets like private services. MoS Communication says t186 towers have been installed in left wing extremist areas of Gopalganj, Bihar. Sisty six more are being installed to provide 2G and 3G services being provided.
Why not free internet through BSNL, asks Janak Ram. Minister Manoj Sinha says government is setting up BSNL systems in government building, at 16 post offices it has been done. There has been a 60 per cent improvement in the network. Feedbacks are being received from 16 lakh users on call drops.
Bharat Net scheme provides 2.5 lakh gram panchayats to be covered for broadband facility, first phase to cover 1 lakh gram panchayats, for which infra is being set up, optical fibre has been laid.
11:10 am: The 'bounty on Mamata' row echoes in Rajya Sabha too. Opposition across party lines come in support of West Bengal Chief Minister.
Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says they condemn this kind of a statement and the State govt can take legal action.
Opposition members want Prime Minister to condemn the BJP leader. Mayawati, a former chief minister, says mere condemnation won't do, legal proceedings should be initiated.
11:08 am: Ms. Mahajan says this is a wrong trend in politics and urges not to speak out of turn. We should all be patient, we should not speak over each other, she says, proceeding with Question Hour.
11:06 am: Mallikarjun Kharge says he condemns the BJP member's statement. "She is a Chief Minister, a former Union Minister, legal action should be taken," he says. Mr. Ananth Kumar says he is condemning the incident.
11:05 am: TMC member Saugata Roy says the day before yesterday there was lathicharge on BJP members by police in Birbum, in West Bengal, after that a BJP member has given a call for Mamata Banerjee's head for Rs. 11 lakh. It is a condemnable incident, says Mr Roy and seeks action.
11:03 am: It's Sumitra Mahajan's birthday today. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar wishes her. So do other members.
11:00 am: Both Houses assemble.
List of Business for the day
In Lok Sabha ,
The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2017.
Discussion on Sustainable Development Goals.
In Rajya Sabha ,
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017.
The Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill, 2017.
The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013.
(With inputs from Vikas Pathak and Deveh K. Pandey)
