With the Monsoon Session entering its last week from Monday, the government has listed four bills related to the Finance Ministry for passage in the Rajya Sabha to get them Parliament’s nod.
According to the list for business for Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021, which seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the Customs Act, 1962, the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994, the Trade Marks Act, 1999, and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001.
She will also move The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021 for passage. Both these bills have been passed by the Lok Sabha. The Appropriation (No.4) Bill, 2021 and The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2021, pending in the upper house since last week, will also be moved.
The government rushed through eight bills through the house in 3 hours 25 minutes, amid the opposition alleging that the government is undermining Parliament, and the government blaming the opposition for the stalemate and not resolving the issue.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribe) Order (Amendment) Bill, The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, The Essential Defence Services Bill, 2021, The Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and The Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 have been passed.
The work in the third week increased by 24.20 per cent corresponding to the previous week, while 21.36 hours were wasted.
In the debates, opposition members tried to raise issues related to farm laws, the Pegasus snooping row, and fuel hike but were not allowed by the chair.
Congress leader Deepender Hooda alleged that “as you take the name of farmers in the house the mic is put off”.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted on Sunday: “PM @narendramodi seems to have lost his nerves. Why is he not keen on answering questions in Parliament?
“The opposition parties are ready for discussions in the Parliament, but @BJP4India Govt is stalling the proceedings so that the truth doesn’t get to the people.”
But the Government claims that the opposition is raising a “non-issue”.
The opposition wants that the government should allow a discussion on the snooping row, farm laws and fuel price hikes under Rule 267. However, the government says that on the snooping row, only clarifications can be sought after the minister’s statement while on the farm laws a short duration discussion has been allowed in the House but the opposition is not ready to discuss it before discussing the Pegasus issue.