The second week of Monsoon session that began on Monday witnessed trade off between Treasury and Opposition in Lok Sabha. Last week, both Houses faced disruptions as Opposition wanted discussion on agrarian crisis and cow vigilantism.
While the Rajya Sabha did have a short discussion on cow vigilantism, the Lok Sabha's list of business did not mention discussion. The government is saying it will agree for a discussion.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suspended six Congress MPs for their "unruly behaviour" in the House. They were seen tearing and flinging papers in the House.
In Rajya Sabha, The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017., the Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill, 2017, The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017, and The Collection of Statistics (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will be taken up.
The Lok Sabha was expected to discuss The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017, The Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017. But the House was adjourned for the day.
Live updates
4:52 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day.
4:48 pm: Vivek Gupta talks against government's move to sell out Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd. It is a proft-making company but employees have not received salary for eight months. More members associate with him.
There are plants in Assam and West Bengal and some employees have not received salary for two years, claims an MP. Are you sure? asks Mr. Kurien. The MP answers affirmative.
4:47 pm: P.L. Punia raises the issue of road accidents in the country. There is a delay in ambulance reaching the victim. Cashless insurance is not available in many hospitals. There is not enough ambulance to cater the needs of people, he says.
4:45 pm: Jairam Ramesh says draft rules of CAMPA Act should be made available in public domain. The late Anil Madhav Dave had assured consultation but in this year not one such meeting took place, he says.
4:41 pm: Vijila Sathyanath raises the issue of Shenbagavalli Dam, a dam in Kerala but maintained by Tamil Nadu.
4:40 pm: During Special Mention, Prasanna Acharya urges the Union Government to accord official status to Sambalpuri language spoken largely in western Odisha, under Schedule 8 of constitution.
4:38 pm: The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017 is passed.
4:36 pm: Clause-by-clause voting taken up.
4:35 pm: The Bill is taken up for voting.
4:22 pm: MoS Mansukh Mandaviya speaks. He says India is the only country that has an ocean named after it. We have been using sea routes for over 4000 years. But we didn't have a maritime law. That is why we have brought this Bill, he says.
It is not like loss of life is not given priority. In such evantualities the protection of the ship is more important, says the minister. He also says that the government will consider setting up a tribunal for pre-litigation claims.
4:20 pm: D. Raja, while supporting the Bill, raises the issue of a recently passed Sri Lankan law that would affect Indian fishermen. He says the Katchatheevu agreement will have to be re-negotiated. "Do we follow uniformity with international practices?" he asks.
4:15 pm: The lity jurisdiction will vest with the respective High Courts and will extend up to the territorial waters of their respective jurisdictions.
The High Courts may exercise jurisdiction on maritime claims arising out of conditions including: (i) disputes regarding ownership of a vessel, (ii) disputes between co-owners of a vessel regarding employment or earnings of the vessel, (iii) mortgage on a vessel, (iv) construction, repair, or conversion admiral of the vessel, (v) disputes arising out of the sale of a vessel, (vi) environmental damage caused by the vessel, etc, according to PRS Legislative Research.
3:50 pm: D. Bandhopadhyay (Trinamool Congress) speaks in favour of the Bill. He however points out that the jurisdiction of terrirorial waters must be clearly demarcation. HE notes how a dispute between Odisha and West Bengal over territorial waters was solved amicably by both the State Chief Ministers.
3:45 pm: Vijila Sathyanath says she wholeheartedly support the Bill as claims can be taken up by all High Courts. She seeks if the Act will not be used on foreign vessel used for non-commercial purpose?
She mentions the 2013 Tuticorin incident and recent Ennore oil spill. She urges the Central government to provide compensation to the State.
3:38 pm: Bhubaneshwar Kalita is in the Chair. C.K Gohel is speaking in favour of the Bill. He says the government has done the right thing to amend the colonial law.
3:32 pm: Vivek Tankha of Congress speaks in favour of the Bill. He welcomes inclusion of High Courts in coastal States, in addition to the Madras, Bombay and Calcutta High Courts.
The Bill is giving lesser priority for loss of life than the loss of wages. This has to be reconsidered, he says. There is no mechanism in the Bill for pre-litigation settlement, he notes.
3:30 pm: The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017 is taken up for consideration.
The Bill seeks to consolidate the existing laws on civil matters of admiralty jurisdiction of courts, admiralty proceedings on maritime claims, and arrest of ships. Admiralty laws deal with cases of accidents in navigable waters or involve contracts related to commerce on such waters.
The Bill repeals laws such as the Admiralty Court Act, 1861, the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890.
3:25 pm: The Bill goes for voting. Clause-by-clause amendments are taken up. The Bill is passed by voice vote.
3:23 pm: Ms. Sitharaman's specific reply to Mr. Yadav. "We are only closing down illegal slaughterhouses. The legal slaughterhouses are still functioning," she says. There is no contradiction here. We are for regulated leather industry.
3:20 pm: She is now replying to MPs queries. We will consider setting up more institutes. Jharkhand Chief Minister is keen is setting up an institute in his State. Why not under HRD Ministry? Ms. Sitharaman says leather needs separate institute. Operational training centres are set up in various regions and traditional skills will be taken care of.
The students enrolled after 2012 and hence comes with the retrospective clause. All the existing policy regarding reservation will be followed, Ms. Sitharaman assures.
3:10 pm: Nirmala Sitharaman gives closing remarks before the Bill goes for voting. The 12 campuses are well-spread. Seven campuses including Kolkata and Chennai are fully functional, and five more will come up soon.
The FDDI went through tough phase from 2012-14. The then government converted the Rajasthan institute as State University. That error committed in 2012 was corrected by the Modi government, she says.
3:07 pm: Navaneethakrishnan says the Senate decides the reservation. The Central government should issue order to provide 69 per cent reservation at the Chennai institute.
3:00 pm: Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) takes up the issue of cattle slaughter rules. Where will leather come when cattle transport is affected, slaughter houses are being shut and tanneries are closed down, he asks. Your policies are self-contradictory, says Mr. Yadav.
2:55 pm: M.V. Rajeev Gowda points that over 3600 students were affected because the House couldn't pass the Bill during the last session of Parliament. Professor Gowda, a former IIM Professor, urges that the quality of the training provided assured to the students at the time of enrollment. He also seeks to know the funding pattern of these institutes.
2:52 pm: Vijaisai Reddy says he supports the Bill for two reasons. Firstly, economic survey says footwear industry will generate half million jobs every year, and secondly, the industry will increase India's exports.
Mr. Reddy has three poser. Will this Bill have a retrospective effect and whether students enrolled since 2012 be given degrees? Why was the allocation for leather reduced to Rs. 0.01 crore in the last budget? Are you considering Free Trade Agreement with European Union, USA and UK?
Mr. Reddy notes that none of the institute in Andhra Pradesh.
2:50 pm: Veer Singh (BSP) suggests 50 centres of footwear institutes should be opened across India. The government should also ensure treatment plants are installed to check pollution arising out of leather tanneries.
Mr. Singh recalls the Leather Park inaugurated by former Chief Minister Mayawati in Agra. Mr. Singh also mentions the Una incident where Dalit youths were thrashed for allegedly skinning dead cattle. Dalits are being targetted, he claims.
2:45 pm: Dilip Kumar Tirkey, BJD, speaks in favour of the Bill. Though India is number two, China is leading footwear market with 60 per cent share, he says.
Mr. Tirkey says the cow vigilantism has affected the leather industry.
2:40 pm: C.P. Narayanan, CPI(M) MP, notes that leather industry is a major cause of water pollution and the Bill should ensure that pollution is controlled. He also says people who are traditionally involved in leather industry should not be neglected.
2:36 pm: Ms . Sathyanath wants to know if the State's 69 per cent reservation policy will be followed when the institutes are converted as National instittutes. One of the institute is located in Chennai.
2:35 pm: Meantime, Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day.
2:32 pm Vijila Sathyanath, AIADMK MP, speaks in favour of the Bill. She begins her speech invoking her "guardian angel", the late Jayalalithaa. She narrates the booming leather industry in Ambur and Ranipet. Ambur is the leather capital of South India, she says.
2:30 pm: Vishvambar Prasad Nishad, Samajwadi Party MP, speaks in favour of the Bill.
2:20 pm: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe says such specialised institutes should be instituted by the Human Resources Department. India is the second largest producer of footwear, he says.
This has the potential to become a footwear art university, he says. The Maharashtra MP suggests an institute should come up in Kolhapur.
2:15 pm: P.L. Punia speaks in favour of the Bill. But he uses the opportunity to mention the cattle slaughter laws enacted in various States, including Uttar Pradesh. He mentions how youth were beaten up in Una for refusing to skin dead cattle and how people were thrashed for taking cattle for slaughter.
He ends the speech suggesting to set up a footwear development institute in Kanpur.
2:10 pm: Rajya Sabha takes up the The Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill, 2017 for discussion. The Bill has already been passed in Lok Sabha.
The Bill seeks to establish the Footwear Design and Development Institute as an institution of national importance. Currently, there are 12 campuses under the Institute.
2:08 pm Gaurav Gogoi, Kodikunnil Suresh, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Sushmita Dev, Ranjeet Ranjan, and M.K.Raghavan have been suspended for five consecutive days.
2:05 pm: In Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan mentions the names of parliamentarians who tore papers. "This conduct of MPs is unbecoming. I am therefore constrained to suspend these MPs from the proceedings of parliament for five consecutive days," she says before adjourning the House till 2:30 pm.
2:00 pm Both Houses reconvene. In Rajya Sabha, permission was sought to withdraw the Architects (Amendment) Bill, 2010.
1:00 pm: On that note, Question Hour ends. Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 2 pm.
12:55 pm: Does the government has any plans to meet the drinking water demands for the next 20 years, asks an MP. Climate change and erratic monsoon has affected drinking water supply. Sixty-five per cent of MBGNREGA funds are used for drinking water needs. We are working on providing clean drinking water to every citizen.
12:50 pm: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe wants to know if the government plans to come up with a plan to close unused borewells. He highlights how children have lost their lives by falling into such unused borewells. Minister Tomar applauds the suggestion and assures him the government will consider this issue.
12:45 pm Zero Hour ends earlier than usual. Lok Sabha adjourned. Will meet again at 2 pm.
12:40 pm: Lok Sabha Speaker says Sushma Swaraj will give a statement on missing Indians in Iraq in the House at 5 pm today.
12:30 pm: Contrary to Lok Sabha, the upper House is proceeding with Question Hour. Vijaisai Reddy is asking about Polavaram project. How many families evicted and provided compensation? The minister says he will give the details in writing, as requested.
12:20 pm: Zero Hour proceedings continue. Some Opposition MPs are shouting anti-government slogans. Kodikunnil Suresh is seen throwing papers. Ananth Kumar condemns his action. Members from Treasury too protest. Speaker appeals for calm.
12:16 pm: Ananth Kumar says the country worships cow and cow must be protected. But if someone takes the law in their hands in the name of cow protection, it will not be tolerated, he says. Cow protection is part of the Directive Principles, he says.
12:15 pm: Saugata Roy joins the issue. He points out that Junaid, a 15-year-old boy was beaten to death. Though the Prime Minister has repeatedly spoken against such attacks, no one seems to be listening, he says.
12:10 pm Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asks why his adjournment motion was rejected? The country is facing lynching and attacks on Dalits, minorities and women. The government has failed to protect the marginalised, says Mr. Kharge.
The Prime Minister assured thrice that cow vigilantes will be reined in. But there has been no progress, he claims.
12:07 pm Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moves The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017. Trinamool MP Saugata Roy suggests the Bill should be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee. It is rejected.
Minister P Radhakrishnan moves the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
12:04 pm Actor Anubhav Mohanty, MP from Odisha, asks about how the funds for Swachch Bharat is being utilised. He mentions about a photo where a minister was seen defecating in the open. Minister Narendra Singh Tomar responds saying total santisation mission is the responsibility of every individual.
12:00 noon Question Hour ends in Lok Sabha, Zero hour begins. Question Hour begins in Rajya Sabha. Ministers are laying various papers in Lok Sabha.
11:50 am Prasanna Acharya talks about contribution of people of Odisha in the first War of Independence. He urges the government to recognise the contribution of Odisha reedom fighters.
11:48 am Swapan Das Gupta says the influx of Rohingya Muslims into India due to ethnic crisis in Myanmar. Some of them have links with terrorist organisations, he claims.
11:45 am Jharna Das Bidiya raises the issue of rising rapes across India. She highlights the rape of a young athlete allegedly by a coach. What is the use of Nirbhaya Fund, she asks.
11:44 am Ali Anwar Ansari (JD-U) says there is a shortage of coins in the country. Chocolates are replacing coins in shops, she says. Currency notes are of no use in small, petty and informal businesses. Coins are in use even before paper or plastic notes came into existence, he says, urging government to make available adequate availability of coins.
11:40 am Union Minister Ananth Kumar requests Congress MPs to end sloganeering, which they refuse. Speaker says she will allow MPs to voice their views, but after Question Hour. But sloganeering continues.
11:40 am Information Technology industry is on the verge of losing 37 lakh jobs in India, says KTS Tulsi quoting McKinsey report. There are two reasons for this: reduction of h1B visa and push to automation, he says.
11:30 am In Lok Sabha, an MP asks why benefits of reservations are not given for OBC students in Navodaya Vidyalayas. Government says it will consider the suggestion.
11:27 am Vandana Chavan raises the issue of custodial death of Manjula Shette in Byculla prison in Mumbai.
11:25 am Tamil Nadu and West Bengal MPs troop the Well demanding answers on NEET. Health Minister J P Nadda says the ministry is looking into NEET issue.
11:23 am Parliamentarians are asking questions on Swadesh Darshan and Prasad scheme. Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma says two projects have been initiated in Telangana to develop spiritual tourism.
11:20 am Anand Sharma and A K Antony wants to government to respond to media reports on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conversation with Mr. Modi. Why a change in stand on Palestine, they ask.
11:18 am Navneethakrishnan, AIADMK MP, asks the government to prescribe a uniform syllabus for NEET, popularise it and then conduct examinations.
11:15 am Ali Anwar Ansari, D. Raja and Digvijaya Singh raise the issue of people displaced due to Narmada Valley project. The Prime Minister wants to perform Aarthi on the river, but what about people? asks Mr. Ansari.
11:10 am Nirmala Sitharaman is answering questions related to trade deficit in Lok Sabha. An MP wants protection to apparel exports, which is facing competition from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The Minister says the government will continue to support the industry. We are negotiating a free trade agreement with the European union, she says.
11:07 am Derek O Brien, says NEET papers set in Tamil and Bengali were different from rest of the country. These two states have been affected, he says. This is a federal issue, not just limited to these two States, he says.
He also points out a newspaper report that Rabinranath Tagore's reference has been removed from NCERT books.
11:05 am In Lok Sabha, opposition MPs continue with sloganeering.
11:01 am SP leader Naresh Agrawal raises point of order saying the House is not functioning for stipulated number of days. Mr. Kurien says there is no violation of Article 85. The intersection period should not be more than six months. The government can decide how many days House can run.
11:01 am Question Hour begins in Lok Sabha. Opposition MPs storm the well seeking debate on agrarian crisis. But the Speaker wants to continue with Question Hour.
11:00 am Lok Sabha proceedings begin. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan informs the House about loss of lives in floods and bus accident in Rajasthan. The House mourns the deaths.
11:00 am Rajya Sabha proceedings begin. Deputy Chairman P J Kurien is in the Chair. Ministers are laying papers listed against their names.
