The second week of the Monsoon session that began on Monday witnessed a lot of action in both the Houses, with Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suspended six Congress MPs for their "unruly behaviour" in the House.
On Tuesday, Rajya Sabha held a short duration discussion on agrarian crisis. The question hour and Zero Hours proceedings were suspended to allow parliamentarians attend the swearing in ceremony of Ram Nath Kovind, as the President of India.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley introduced the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017, in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The Bill seeks to authorise the RBI to resolve the problem of stressed assets, even as the Opposition demanded that it be sent to a standing committee for scrutiny.
The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed two Bills on jurisdiction and settlement of maritime claims and the Footwear Design and Development Institute. However, the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2017, could not be taken up.
Live updates:
7.00 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am on July 26, 2017.
6.50 pm: Vishambhar Prasad Nishad (SP) from UP speaks, finishes his speech quickly. The Chair calls out for Special Mentions, CLAT - the Common Law Admission Tests - is brought up. "CLAT is riddled with errors."
Tiruchi Siva brings up privatisation in the defense sector. Derek O'Brien raises the issue of data security and privacy of Aadhaar cards.
AIADMK MP Rathinavel brings up the issue of government privatising small arms ordnance factories.
6.40 pm: Two-thirds of a farmer's income goes towards debt, says La Ganesan (BJP) from Madhya Pradesh. "The southern states are suffering more. Though there are other reasons for suicide, suicides cannot be ignored."
"Farmers are not only getting loans from banks, they are also getting credit from non-institutionalised organisations," he says, talking about money-lenders and loan sharks. "It's easy to repay to the bank as the interest rate is low."
In 2007, when UPA waived the loans, 13 mil farmers committed suicide. Later in 2009, 4213 people committed suicide just in Maharashtra, he says. Mr. Ganesan is asked for his sources, says he got the numbers from the Parliament office.
"What is the outcome of this discussion? Let us unanimously request the farmers not to commit suidcide. We are here to save you. Let us appeal to the farmers," he signs off to scattered claps from the House.
6.35 pm: In the chair is Dr. Satyanarayanan Jatiya. After Ram Kumar Kashyap, Anand Bhaskar Rapolu (INC), and Balwinder Singh Bhunder (SAD), the Chair allows three more speakers.
The government has brought down price of BMW but increased the price of tractor after GST, says Chaya Verma, INC MP from Chhattisgarh. All the factories in Chattisgarh get the water from our rivers, says Ms. Verma. "It's not going to our farmers."
6.10 pm: Ram Kumar Kashyap, INLD MP from Haryana talks about rising expenditure for farmers, lists out suicide figures for the last couple of years. "Children of farmers don't want to farm these days. They don't even know how much land they have. The government will need to look into this."
6.00 pm: Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien in the chair. Clock hits 6 pm, Mr. Kurien wants to know if the discussion be carried over tomorrow. Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad advocates for finishing the discussion today but says Minister can reply tomorrow. Three more speakers left to go for the day.
Jairam Ramesh: "Don't understand why we're complicating a simple issue."
Kurien: "Chair has to consider all aspects, Jairam Ji."
Chair comes to a solution. Speakers get their say today, reply from the minister tomorrow at 3pm. "More names cannot be added. No new speakers today," he rules.
5.55 pm: Ram Narayan Dudi, BJP MP from Rajasthan places the blame on Congress's shoulders. "Who weakened the farmers? It was Congress!"
5.45 pm: Dr. Sanjay Sinh, INC MP from Assam speaks. "What is our goal here? Are we working towards farmers' benefit or not?" He also speaks about the impact of demonetisation on farmers and farmers' markets. "Yeah, we became a cashless society after demonetisation. But what about the farmers' markets?"
5:35 pm: Mr. Raja continues. There is a decline in agricultural land. There is over dependence of monsoon, in-access to technology, lack of remunerative price to farm produce, he says.
If you think about welfare of farmers, why not implement Ramesh Chand report on MSP fixation? he asks.
5:30 pm: D. Raja (CPI) speaks. The President in his maiden speech referred farmers as the people who build the nation, says Mr. Raja. He recalls a speech of former President K.R. Narayanan. "On three-way liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation, we should provide pedestrian crossing for the less-privileged," Mr. Narayanan had said. Mr. Raja says the late President was referring to farmers.
Agrarian crisis is real. It is acute. Let us admit it, he says. The suicide of even one farmer should sadden us, he adds. The government should seriously consider loan waiver and interest waiver. Why not constitute debt relief commission? he asks.
5:25 pm: The Prime Minister visited Israel. The country has scaled heights in agriculture despite low availability of water. We have to learn from them. We have to see how the country takes care of the farmers there, he says.
5:20 pm: Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena) says he has little to speak as most of his points were covered by Mr. Jha and Mr. Rupala. He says during the previous term 30,000 farmers committed suicide in Vidarbha alone. Farm suicides is an issue for a long time. But this government is taking steps to contain farmer suicides, Mr. Raut says.
It is not that the farmers are agitating now. The farmers were living with the distress from seventy years and he is not able to bear it anymore, he says.
5:18 pm: We have completed 22 out of 26 projects promised on agriculture development, says the Minister.
5:10 pm: Gujarat is compensating farmers if they meet with any calamity or accident during their work. Telangana is also having a couple of good schemes. States should learn good initiatives from other States, says Mr. Rupala.
5:00 pm: Purushottam Rupala, MoS for Agriculture, speaks. He targets Congress on farm waiver. He claims more farmers committed suicide after the UPA government waived off loans. Ranjani Patil objects to it.
Mr. Rupala enacts how prices are decided in the market. He takes out his handkerchief, covers his hands and shows how farmer and trader decide the price.
Opposition raises point of order. Mr. Digijaya Singh wants to know if Mr. Rupala is talking in the capacity of a minister or a party MP?
4:55 pm: Rajani Patil (Congress) says till today I took pride in saying I am from a family of farmers. But today I have to say this world that Farmers are also humans. The number of farmer suicides has increased by 31 per cent in the last two years.
Taking a dig at Maharashtra's farm waiver, she says 8000-odd farmers from Mumbai have been granted waiver. Where is farm land in Mumbai? she asks.
4:50 pm: This nation believes in one nation, one tax, one education system, why not give one time loan waiver? asks Mr. Bharti.
He says there are three reasons behind the crisis: depleting soil quality, lack of farm labourers, over dependence on monsoon. We should have a separate session to discuss agriculture. He ends the speech quoting noted Tamil poet saint Thiruvalluvar's Tirukkural on nobleness of farmers.
4:43 pm: R.S. Bharati (DMK) says this is the worst drought in the history. He mentions farmers agitating in Jantar Mantar. They are seeking an appointment with the Prime Minister. Why the PM is reluctant to meet them? he asks.
Without naming Vijay Mallya, he says a person with crores of loan default has fled the country but poor farmers with meagre loan is being harassed, he says.
4:40 pm: Many States promised loan waiver, but they haven't fulfilled. Unless there is a concrete plan, such promises such not be given, he says.
We must create Special Agricultural Zones should be created like SEZ. The last point, we have to link river water, he conculdes.
4:38 pm: Electronic National Agricultural Market is a good programme. Karnataka is a good example of ENAM. I wish all States implement it, he says.
The Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme is a good scheme but the penetration is low. The private insurance companies are the culprit for the failure, he says. The claims must be settled in 15 days, he says,
4:35 pm: There is lack of access to bank credit to small, marginal and tenant farmers. They amount to 90 per cent of workforce. He narrates how Y.S. Rajashekara Reddy's Pavala scheme helped farmers.
4:30 pm: V. Vijaysai Reddy, YSRCP, speaks. Tiruchi Siva is in the Chair. He says he has six issues related to agrarian crisis. He applauds the government for renaming the ministry, crop insurance, interest waiver, farm loan credit and kisan credit cards. But he notes it is not adequate.
4:25 pm: Praful Patel, NCP, says even though the majority of population is engaged in farming, only 20 per cent of GDP comes from agriculture. We have achieved bumper harvest. I remember Sharad Pawar's term, says Mr. Patel.
We are exporting sugar. We are largest producer of milk and wheat. This is because of farmers., he says.
We are not focussing on agriculture research and technology, says Mr. Patel pointing out at Agriculture Minister. We must focus on farming with less water, he says.
4:20 pm Munquad Ali of BSP speaks. Everyday 10,000 farmers are leaving agriculture. They are not getting adequate income from farming, he says. Many farmers are turning into farm labourers because of lack of income, he claims.
4:14 pm: He urges the government to reconsider the decision to bring GM Mustard. This is a death blow to farmers. He says farmers are grateful to Jairam Ramesh for stoping Bt Brinjal.
Farmers need 3 Ps — Price, pension and prestige, he says.
4:00 pm: Prasanna Acharya of BJD speaks. He congratulates the government for posting 4.3 per cent growth in agriculture. If there is growth, why are farmers agitating or committing suicide? That is because the benefits of growth doesn't reach the farmers, he says.
The monsoon or nature has not cheated the farmers, it is the government that has cheated the farmers, he says.
The demonetisation has collapsed the farm produce prices. They could find no buyers as there was no cash in the market. The farmers are not demanding star hotels or malls. They are demanding a good price for their produce, a good market, a good insurance, a good MSP, he says.
3:55 pm: K.K Ragesh quoting BJP's manefesto says the party commits to agricultural growth. The BJP called agriculture as engine of growth, but the engine has broken down, he says.
Had at least 20 per cent of these promises have met, we would have avoided this devastating effect on farmers, he says.
In Maharashtra alone over 4,000 farmers have committed suicide. There is a spike of 42 per cent farm suicides, he says. Don't blame farmers for their plight, says Mr. Ragesh.
The import policy and speculative trading are killing farmers, says Mr. Ragesh.
3:50 pm: M.P. Veerendra Kumar says, Arvind Subramanian, the Chief Economic Advisor is for waiving off corporate loans, but the government is hesitant is waiving off farm loans. This government is killing cooperative banks. The demonetisation had negative effect on cooperative banks.
This is Mr. Kumar's maiden speech in Rajya Sabha.
3:45 pm: M.P. Veerendra Kumar of Kerala quotes the words of one Pallavi, the daughter of a farmer who committed suicide. "I wish no parent does what my father did. Think about your family before taking such a decision" she had said. Agrarian suicide is shameful for the nation, he says.
You may get low interest loan for buying a luxury car. But a farmer to buy a tractor should wait for weeks to get sanction for loan. A woman seeking loan to buy a goat has to wait endlessly, says Mr. Kumar.
3:40 pm: We are talking about bullet trains but the life of farmers has not changed, says Mr. O Brien ending his speech.
3:30 pm: Derek O Brien urges States to follow West Bengal model of crop insurance where the premium is borne by State and Central government and not the farmer.
Ninety farmers have committed suicide, says Mr. O Brien and places on table the list. The country voted for a game changer, not a name changer, he says.
Post demonetisation, several States went back to barter system due to unavailability of cash. This is not cashless economy, he says.
3:15 pm: Speaker decides to adjourn the House for the day.
3:10 pm: Amid ruckus Prakash Javadekar introduces the IIIT Bill. He goes on to narrate the benefits of the Bill but Opposition MPs want the suspension to be revoked.
They are joined by CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress, who appeal the Speaker to revoke the suspension.
3:00 pm: Lok Sabha reconvenes. Pandemonium in the House as opposition MPs oppose the suspension order given to six MPs. Treasury engage in war of words.
2:55 pm: Every year nearly 7,000 crore worth perishables like fruits, vegetables are lost. Why are foreign apples being sold in markets when apples from Shimla are allowed to rot, he questions.
2:50 pm: Ram Gopal Yadav, who is now the floor leader of SP, speaks. "Listening to the back and forth on Mandasur agitation, I feel like I was in MP's Legislative Assembly," he says. MPs chucke.
2:36 pm: We have achieved record bumper harvest in foodgrains. Mr. Jha mentions in length how the government has implemented Swaminathan Committee report.
2:30 pm: Prabhat Jha of BJP raises to speak. He says he is paying tributes to all farmers who lost their lives since Independence. The first thing that the Prime Minister did was to rename the Agriculture Ministry to Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Ministry.
It was during Digvijaya Singh's tenure as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, 24 farmers were killed. We never said Mr. Singh ordered the killings, says Mr. Jha.
2:28 pm: "Over exploitation of groundwater is a major reason for farmer woes. Steps must be taken to recharge groundwater."
About eight to 10 per cent produce goes waste due to lack of proper storage. Government should invest in cold storage, he says.
2:25 pm: There was a good network of cooperative banks but the rise of commercial banks has ruined it.
The Tamil Nadu government has written off the loans taken by farmers in cooperative banks. The farmers are agitating in Delhi as they want Union government to write off loans. The government should consider their demands, Mr. Singh says.
2:22 pm: You haven't enforced Swaminathan Committee report. Please enforce Ramesh Chand Committee report, at least, says Mr. Singh. The Ramesh Chand Committee recommended insuring the price instead of crop.
2:20 pm: The crop insurance scheme has benefited insurance companies and not farmers. The companies made a profit of Rss. 10,000 crores. Only 32 per cent of claims approved were settled by the companies to the farmers, he says.
When the companies post losses, you absorb it but when they make profit, they don't have to share it with you, notes Mr. Singh. There is no grievance redressal mechanism in the scheme, he says.
2:15 pm: The demonetisation was announced at a time when farmers were waiting to sell their produce. The farmers were forced to sell their produce at lesser rate since the availability of cash was limited, claims Mr. Singh.
Mr. Singh attacks the government for cattle slaughter rules. Farmers are unable to sell their old livestock. Even Veer Savarkar was against ban on slaughter, says Mr. Singh.
2:13 pm: Even though you have raised the minimum support price of toor dhal, you don't procure everything the farmer produces. The farmer has to sell it in market, where they don't give 50 per cent of the MSP. There is corruption in procurement, claims Mr. Singh.
2:05 pm: The biggest scam in agriculture industry is the import of wheat at a time when the production was surplus. The import and export policy of agriculture produce is an important subject for farmers, says Mr. Singh.
There has been a massive 6,623 per cent hike in import at a time when the production was good locally. Importing agriculture from outside is like outsourcing the work of farmers, says Mr. Singh quoting Swaminathan Report.
Importing foodgrain may reduce the price but it directly affects the livelihood of farmers, he says.
2:00 pm: Rajya Sabha reconvenes. Deputy Chairman P J Kurien is in the Chair. Congress MP Digvijaya Singh kickstarts discussion on agrarian crisis. He mentions the firing on farmers in Mandaur, Madhya Pradesh. Till now, the (State) government has not said who shot the farmers and who ordered firing?
11:30 am: Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 2 pm to enable members participate in the swearing—in ceremony of the President.
11:10 am: Ministers are laying various papers on the Table in Rajya Sabha.
11.05 am: Lok Sabha adjourns till 3pm so that MPs may attend the swearing in ceremony of new President of India.
11.00 am: Both Houses convene. In Rajya Sabha, Ministers present papers relating to their respective ministries.
