Parliament LIVE Updates: RS to Discuss Govt Action on Covid-19; FinMin Will Seek Passage of Bill for Bringing Co-op Banks Under RBI

Congress MP Anand Sharma has given short duration discussion notice in Rajya Sabha over 'the incursion of Chinese Army across the LAC and military standoff between the Armies of India and China on the LAC.'

— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2020

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 for its passage in the Lok Sabha today. The Bill seeks to protect the interest of the depositors by bringing co-operative banks under the regulatory framework of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

RS to Hold Talks on Pandemic | The Rajya Sabha is set to discussion the pandemic and the steps taken by the Centre to curb the spread of the deadly virus. Union Minister Harsh Vardhan had on Monday told Parliament that the decision to impose nationwide lockdown prevented 14-29 lakh Covid-19 cases and 37,000-78,000 deaths in India. Reports now state that the number of infections in the country have crossed the 5 million mark with 91,136 new cases.

RJD MP Manoj Jha has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over 'COVID-19 and its impacts on migrant workforce.'

MPLAD Fund Restoration | Opposition parties, including the Congress, in the Lok Sabha had demanded the restoration of Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) fund, even as they supported the government's decision to cut salaries of MPs. Participating in a discussion on the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020, in the Lower House, members of the Congress, TMC, BJD, NCP, TRS, TDP and other parties pitched for the restoration of the funds.

BSP MP Veer Singh has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over 'increase in unemployment due to lockdown and COVID-19 pandemic.'

PDP MP Gives Zero Hour Notice | PDP MP Nazir Ahmad Laway has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over "MPLAD funds and poor condition of National Highway from Jammu to Srinagar."

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over 'proposed privatisation of JNPT
(Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) ports and concern over national security.' pic.twitter.com/HqltRyCtH0

— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2020

RECAP | Congress leader P Chidambaram had called out the central government. Chidambaram had said India is a unique parliamentary democracy where no questions are asked and no debate takes place, aafter the party was not allowed to speak on the Ladakh standoff issue in the Lok Sabha. Members of the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha and staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament House complex after they were not allowed to speak following a statement by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.

Ministers to lay papers on the Table  | For Lok Sabha, a revised list of business names the following papers to be laid on table 

Following Ministers to lay papers on the Table:-

1. SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI for Ministry of Coal and Ministry of Mines;
2. SHRI RAO INDERJIT SINGH for Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation;
3. SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK for Ministry of Defence;
4. DR. JITENDRA SINGH for Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions;
5. SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI for Ministry of Commerce and Industry;
6. SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL for Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs;
7. SHRI DHOTRE SANJAY SHAMRAO for Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology;
8. SHRI ANGADI SURESH CHANNABASAPPA for Ministry of Railways; and
9. SHRI SOM PARKASH for Ministry of Commerce and Industry

The Lok Sabha will sit from 3 pm to 7 pm. Rajya Sabha will sit from 9 am to 1 pm.

Today will be the third day of the 18-day Monsoon Session of Parliament that began on September 14, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The session is being held amid many firsts, including sitting of the two Houses in shifts without any off day. 

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which seeks to deregulate food items, including cereals, pulses and onion, with opposition parties describing the measure as anti-farmer and NDA ally Shiromani Akali Dal opposing changes in the law. The amendment is aimed at transforming the farm sector and raising farmers' income, the government has said.