Parliament proceedings updates | Houses discuss Bills amid protests

The Opposition continues to protest in both the Houses demanding discussions on the three farm laws and the Pegasus surveillance issue.

August 03, 2021 11:06 am | Updated August 04, 2021 10:27 am IST

A view of the Parliament House building, in New Delhi.

A view of the Parliament House building, in New Delhi.

Just like Monday, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed Bills each with little debate and amid sloganeering.

Here are the updates :

Lok Sabha | 4.00 pm

Lok Sabha reassembles. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury objects to Bills being passed amid din. MoS Arjun Meghwal interrupts, he blames the Opposition for the impasse. Both are talking simultaneously.

N.K. Premachandran also says the House is not in order and Bills cannot be passed in din.

Nirmala Sitharaman says the ordinance has to be replaced with Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021. She says only because of urgency government had to resort to take the ordinance route. Now, we want to bring a Bill, the opposition has problems with it, she says.

The Bill is taken up for voting without discussion.

The Bill is passed and House is adjourned for the day.

Rajya Sabha | 2.30 pm

Nirmala Sitharaman responds. She thanks the members for participating in the debate despite protests. She condemns protesting members who surround the members who are speaking, "in a threatening manner."

Even now I will ask the opposition to participate in the discussion.

Members who themselves are disrupting the proceedings when they stand up to speak demand that order should be restored in the house. How selfish can they be, she says.

The Bill is taken up for voting.

The Bill is passed by voice vote.

House adjourned for the day.

Rajya Sabha | 2.20 pm

So far the opposition members were standing behind the speakers holding the placards, now some members are standing right next to the speaker, yelling slogans. The Rajya Sabha TV is carefully cutting out shots with the opposition placards.

YSR Congress MP Vijay Sai Reddy who is speaking in support of the bill is now surrounded by opposition members holding placards.

The slogans get louder and the member is barely audible.

Rajya Sabha | 2.15 pm

Rajya Sabha continues its discussion amid sloganeering. AIADMK's Thambi Durai supports the Bill. He says the Bill is beneficial for the people.

John Brittas (CPI-M) says he opposes the Bill. He uses the opportunity to raise the issue of Pegaus snooping. Even your phone could be bugged, he says. More chaos in the House.

Treasury Bench opposes. He is not speaking on the Bill, says a BJP member.

Lok Sabha | 2.00 pm

Lok Sabha takes up The Essential Services Defence Bill, 2021. This Bill replaces an ordinance by the same name.

MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt says the Bill not unconstitutional as claimed by the opposition. We know the situation in the north (Ladakh and PoK). We can't afford to lose our forces due to lack of the resources, he says.

N.K. Premachandran moves amendments. He says the Bill will only facilitate privatisation of ordnance factories. "Please don't pass the Bill in the din," he says.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says the Bill is undemocratic and is being bull dozed, he says. Saugata Ray also joins the issue.

Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister, assures the House saying the Act will be in force only for one year.

The Bill is passed. House is adjourned till 4 pm

Rajya Sabha | 2.00 pm

Rajya Sabha resumes. BJP MP Bhuvaneswar Kalita is in chair.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill 2021 is being moved by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Discussion on the bill continues amidst protests from the opposition parties.

Please understand the seriousness of the bill and I request the members of the House to participate in the discussion, Ms. Sitharaman says.

Rajya Sabha | 12.45 pm

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 p.m.

The Opposition has increased the number of placards in the House today, with even the seated Members now holding placards.

Only the TMC, Congress and Left MPs were in the well. DMK, NCP and Shiv Sena Members were standing on their seats in protest.

Rajya Sabha | 12.35 pm

Members ask questions on grid-scale battery energy storage system and on additional tax on tobacco products.

K.S. Suresh Reddy asks why more companies cannot be brought in for the production of Remdesivir, a drug in acute shortage. Wwhy can't the Patents Act be amended? Is it beyond the scope of of the Parliament? It should be amended to ensure more companies are licensed and production of the drug ramped up."

Mr. Madaviya's response is drowned amidst the Opposition's sloganeering.

Rajya Sabha | 12.25 pm

Member Naresh Gujaral, speaks about vaccines to the protesting farmers. Mr. Harivansh stops him and says that only questions related to the production of Covaxin and Covishield should be asked.

Sloganeering becomes louder.

Rajya Sabha | 12.15 pm

Arjun Ram Meghwal, MoS Culture, responds to a question by Member Rakesh Sinha on promoting and preserving dance and music traditions of the northeast.

Will the government establish a unique centre to promote and develop the folk artforms and cultures of the tribal communities of Odisha, Member Sujeet Kumar asks.

Lok Sabha | 12.10 pm

Lok Sabha adjourned for the second time today till 2 p.m.

Rajya Sabha | 12.10 pm

Slogans in regional languages

Members M. Tambidurai, Dr. BHarati Pravin Pawar ask questions on the treatment of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 diseases under PMJAY.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya answers a question on financial assistance given to Bihar.

Opposition members raise slogans in Tamil and Kannada, among other regional languages.

Lok Sabha | 12 pm

Papers being laid

House resumes after the first adjournment of the day.

Bhartruhari Mahtab presiding over the proceedings.

The Speaker has turned down all the notices of adjournment motions on various issues, Mr. Mahtab says.

Papers are being laid on the table of the House.

Opposition Members continue to shout  slogans.

Rajya Sabha | 12 pm

Question Hour begins

Rajya Sabha proceedings resume.

Deputy Chairman Harivansh pleads with the Opposition to let the House function. "It is you own time and you should return to your seats."

The Opposition protests continue. Slogans are being raised in multiple languages.

Question Hour begins.

G.V.L. Narasimha Rao asks about financial assistance provided to Uttar Pradesh, even as the Opposition raises slogans. MoS Finance Pankaj Chaowdhary details the assistance given to the State.

Lok Sabha | 11.40 am

Lok Sabha adjourned till noon

Member Kanakmal Katara seeks information about the guidelines for setting up Farmer Produce Organisations (FPO).

Minister Kailash Choudhary says it is a vital project aimed at doubling the income of farmers. "For laghu and seemant farmers, at least 300 members are required to form FPO...after registration, financial support is provided to them under the FPO eco-system for agri infra development. They can set up food processing units, for which they are imparted training."

"More than seven issues related to farmers have been taken up during the Question Hour, but you (protesting Opposition Members) don't want to participate in the debate," says Mr. Birla.

He adjourns the proceedings till noon.

Lok Sabha | 11.30 am

Financial support to nurseries

Member Rajiv Pratap Rudy raises the issue of lack of nurseries for propagating new plant varieties.

Minister Kailash Choudhary says various agri institutions develop mother plants, which are provided to nurseries. "The Central government provides financial support to the nurseries. 50% subsidy is given for nurseries developed by individuals. The State governments get 100% financial support...in the past two years, 7.45 crore plants have been distributed," he says.

Mr. Rudy says, "People get plants from nurseries thinking that they would bear fruit, but having worked on them for three years, they finally realise it is not the case. What protection do you provide to such farmers?"

Minister Narendra Singh Tomar says the government have started registering nurseries. "So far, 691 nurseries have been registered...there will be an improvement in the quality of plants distributed through them."

Lok Sabha | 11.20 am

FCI depot in Silchar

Member Rajdeep Roy says Silchar is a strategy location which links four States." In 2017, the BJP government in Assam started the process of land acquisition for setting up Food Corporation of India depot. However, it is slow and a no-objection is also required from the Railways."

Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti says Rs. 7 crore has been paid for land acquisition and additional sum is also being arranged. "The process will be completed soon. The FCI depot will soon start functioning."

Minister Piyush Goyal intervenes, accuses the Opposition of not participating in the discussion on issues related to farmers. "They only announced projects but did not bother to implement them. The work on FCI depot in Silchar had to be started in 2012, but it was initiated in 2017 when the BJP came to power in Assam. We are in touch with the Railways to resolve the pending issues...," he says

Lok Sabha | 11.05 am

Om Birla asks Opposition to participate in debates

"In the last two years, villagers of Maharashtra have been deprived of benefits under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana," says Member Raksha Nikhil Khadse. Minister Kailash Choudhary says the Central government will release Rs. 203 crore as soon as it is received.

Speaker Om Birla urges the protesting Members, who have gathered in the well of the House, to participate in the discussion on issues related to farmers. "You don't want to participate in the debates. Please go back to your seats," Mr. Birla says.

Responding to a query, Minister Sanjeev Kumar Balyan says dairy is a State subject. "Milk rate is decided by the market. It is true that due to the rules against cow slaughter, farmers face problems...this is a State subject."

Rajya Sabha | 11.05 am

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 p.m.

Venkaiah Naidu reads out the names of Opposition leaders who have moved notice under Rule 267 to suspend business of the day. The Chairman declines to allow any of these motions

Opposition begins protesting in the House.

Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi moves point of order against Derek O' Brien on his comments about passing Bills in the house like "Papri Chaat".

Mr. Naidu says to the Opposition: "Majority of the Members want the House to run. You cannot dictate your terms."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi demands an apology from Mr. O' Brien. "This is an insult to our country and our Parliament," Mr. Joshi says.

The Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 12 p.m.

Lok Sabha | 11 am

Opposition begins to raise slogans in Lower House

Lok Sabha proceedings resume, Speaker Om Birla is presiding over the House.

Opposition Members begin raising slogans.

Question Hour starts.

Rajya Sabha | 11 am

Proceedings begin in the Upper House

Rajya Sabha Proceedings for the day begin.

Report on Standing Committees of Transport Tourism and Culture, Finance, Labour (Loss of jobs during the lockdown), Social Justice, Water Resources tabled in Rajya Sabha.

Legislative Business

Lok Sabha

Bills for consideration and passing

The Essential Defence Services Bill, 2021

The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021

Rajya Sabha

Bills for consideration and passing

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Bills for consideration and return

The Appropriation (No.4) Bill, 2021

The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2021

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