Second leg of Budget session resumes today. (File)Parliament Budget Session 2022 Updates: The Lok Sabha on Monday was adjourned till tomorrow 11 am, after passing the Jammu-Kashmir Appropriation Bill 2022 during the ongoing Budget session of the parliament.
The government on Monday also sought approval from Parliament to spend an extra Rs 1.07 lakh crore in the current fiscal, news agency PTI reported. As per the third batch of supplementary demands for grants tabled in the Lok Sabha, approval is being sought for gross additional expenditure of over Rs 1.58 lakh crore. Of this, proposals involving net cash outgo aggregate to over Rs 1.07 lakh crore and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of ministries/departments or by enhanced receipts aggregates to over Rs 50,946 crore.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented a Rs 1.42 lakh crore budget for the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2022-23 in the Lok Sabha. The Minister also presented the supplementary demands for the year 2021-22 totalling Rs 18,860.32 crore for the Union Territory and moved a motion seeking suspension of certain rules to allow the House to take up the discussion on the same day. However, Congress MP Manish Tewari objected to the motion, stating that the Opposition needs adequate time for studying the proposals.
The second leg of the Budget session in Parliament began at 11 am Monday. Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda is also expected to table the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill for inclusion of certain communities in the list of STs in relation to the State of Tripura for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha. In the Upper House, he will move the Bill in relation to communities in Jharkhand.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman leaves her office to present the Budget in Parliament in New Delhi, February 1, 2022. (Reuters Photo)
The Congress on Monday cited a media report, which claimed that a Reliance-funded firm boosted BJP's campaigns on Facebook, to allege that "murder of democracy" was taking place with the ruling party being promoted through "divisive proxy ads" during elections.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury described it as a "brazen destruction of the foundations of our democracy". Tagging the report, he said this is vitiating the information space to spread hate and disinformation.
"The EC (Election Commission) must take cognisance as an MNC and a mega corporate-favourite are colluding to distort Indian democracy," he said. The attack by Opposition leaders came over an Al Jazeera report which claimed that loopholes allowed India's largest conglomerate to pump in millions of rupees to place and promote surrogate advertisements to boost the reach and popularity of the BJP in the lead up to the 2019 parliamentary elections and nine state elections. (PTI)
The Northeast is no longer lagging behind the rest of the country in terms of growth and infrastructure development as the Narendra Modi-led government has paid special attention to develop this region in the last seven years, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Monday.
Participating in a discussion on the working of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region in Rajya Sabha, the minister for shipping, ports, and waterways said the Modi government has worked tirelessly to develop the region while the earlier governments only paid lip service.
"In the last seven years, peace has returned to the region, which has led to the increase in economic activity. Modi and (Amit) Shah have taken strong steps to bring peace in the region. Due to that, investors are now looking to invest in the region," Sonowal said.
He said the entire northeastern states have witnessed change in the last few years as the central government has focussed on increasing transport avenues, enhancing communication and connectivity, and creating infrastructure. (PTI)
A day after the Congress Working Committee put its weight behind Sonia Gandhi and asked her to initiate necessary changes in the party, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said all the party MPs and leaders in states are responsible for the poll debacle and not the Gandhi family.
Kharge, who is the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said the BJP/RSS and the prime minister attack the Gandhis all the time and if all the leaders do not stand with them at this time, it would be "betrayal".
"Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been fighting for a cause and have taken on the BJP/RSS head on. They have often been attacked by the BJP/RSS and the prime minister and in such times, if we don't stand with them, we would be betraying ourselves," he told PTI. (PTI)
The Congress on Monday alleged that the Inspector-in-charge (IC) of Jhalda and local TMC leaders had been mounting "pressure" on its councillor Tapan Kandu to switch sides and join the state's ruling camp, and the leader was murdered as he did not give in to their demand.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha and state president of the party, Adhir Chowdhury, who paid a visit to Kandu's family in Purulia's Jhalda on Monday afternoon, alleged that Kandu was murdered by the goons of the TMC, and the local police.
"The Jhalda municipality saw a hung house after polls and Kandu and his wife were asking for help from Independent candidates. Was that a mistake? His wife has said that the TMC, through the police, was putting pressure on them to join the TMC. The local IC had been threatening them to joining the TMC for several months. And when he (IC) could not manage that, Kandu was murdered," Chowdhury said after meeting the deceased's wife. (PTI)
Lok Sabha on Monday was adjourned till tomorrow 11 am, after passing the Jammu-Kashmir Appropriation Bill 2022.
A parliamentary panel has recommended the culture ministry to ensure 100 per cent staffing at all times, terming vacant posts at the ministry a “very pathetic state of affairs”. The committee observed that such was the case at all organisations of the ministry.
In the Archaeology Cadre of ASI, against a total sanctioned strength of 420, there were 166 vacant positions, and in the Conservation Cadre, against a total sanctioned strength of 918, 452 positions were found vacant, it noted.
It said it was "shocked to find that in some cadres vacancies are more than 50 per cent of the sanctioned strength." The committee recommended the ministry to fill all vacant posts that are supposed to be filled by promotions within a span of six months, and those that are supposed to be filled through direct recruitment, within a year.
The committee, in its report ‘Demand for Drafts (2022-23)' said that the allocation of Rs 2,687.99 crore in budget estimates (BE) 2021-22 was decreased in the revised estimates (RE) 2021-22 to Rs 2,665 crore. (PTI)
The BJP on Monday demanded that the recently-released movie 'The Kashmir Files' should be exempted from entertainment tax, while BSP pitched for its ban, arguing that such films create feelings of hatred among various communities.
Participating in the debate on Jammu and Kashmir Budget in Lok Sabha, BJP member Jamyang Tsering Namgyal said the film is exposing the bitter truth and hence it should be exempted from entertainment tax. Janata Dal (United) member Sunil Kumar Pintu too demanded that the movie should be made tax-free, saying the movie reveals the plight of Kashmiri Pandits.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member Danish Ali, however, said that whether it is "Kashmir Files or Gujarat Files", films which create feelings of hatred should be banned. (PTI)
Asserting that the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir was concerning, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Monday said the government has not been able to archive the objectives it set out while abrogating Article 370 there, and asked when its full statehood will be restored.
Initiating the discussion in Lok Sabha on the supplementary demands for grants for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 2021-22, Tewari said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated "extremely nobel sentiments" in her budget speech for Jammu and Kashmir but "ground realities are different".
He said that when the government abrogated Article 370 and divided Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, it put forward two arguments that with this, the Kashmir's merging with India will be strengthened as the state will be emotionally integrated, and the development there would be speeded up.
The government had abrogated Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. "Today 33 months have passed. Has the government been successful in achieving those objectives? I would like to state that the answer is no," he said, arguing that the situation is more sensitive than it was in 2019. (PTI)
After discussing the working of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region the Upper House of the Parliament was adjourned till tomorrow 11 am. Meanwhile, discussion on Supplementary Demands for Grants for Jammu and Kashmir for 2021-22 continues in the Lower House of the Parliament in the ongoing Budget session.
The education department has been allocated the highest Rs 11,832.77 crore followed by Rs 10,831.18 crore for the home department, which controls police, in the Rs 1.42 lakh crore budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 2022-23 presented by Union finance minister in Lok Sabha on Monday.
Sitharaman also presented the supplementary demands for the year 2021-22 totalling Rs 18,860.32 crore for the UT. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill 2022, Rs 797.34 crore has been allocated for the general administration department and Rs 10,831.18 crore for the home department.
The higher allocation for the home department, under which the Jammu and Kashmir Police comes, indicated the government's priority in maintaining peace in the Union Territory, which has been facing over three decades of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. (PTI)
Forty-two defence personnel were killed in accidents involving aircraft, including helicopters, of the three services in the last five years, according to data provided by the defence ministry in Rajya Sabha on Monday.
According to the details shared in Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, the total number of air accidents in the last five years was 45 with the IAF reporting a maximum of 29. He said the number of accidents involving aircraft, including helicopters, in the Indian Army in the last five years was 12, while it was four in the Indian Navy.
Providing the details of defence personnel killed in such accidents, Bhat said the IAF lost 34 people while it was seven in the Indian Army and one in the Indian Navy. Bhatt was asked about details of aircraft accidents in the Indian armed forces in the last five years. (PTI)
Amid skyrocketing oil prices, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said the government will take all required measures in the coming months to ensure that consumers get relief from high fuel prices.
Replying during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas also shared that a proposal to bring petroleum products under the Goods and Services Tax was taken up by the GST Council but it "did not find favour".
India relies on overseas purchases to meet about 85 per cent of its oil requirement, making it one of the most vulnerable in Asia to higher oil prices. Puri was responding to senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, who said it was agreed upon by the government and the opposition that petroleum products will be eventually brought under GST at the time of its introduction, and sought to know the progress been made in this regard.
"States which are acquiring high revenue from the sale of petrol and petroleum products and if I may also add liquor are normally reluctant to reduce their revenue from these two sources," said the Petroleum Minister. However, Puri said "the government will in the coming months also take whatever measures we have to, to make sure that our consumer gets relief to the extent we can". (PTI)
DMK member T R Baalu on Monday slammed the government for lowering the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund deposits to 8.1 per cent. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Baalu also demanded that the Centre restore the interest rate on EPF deposits to 8.5 per cent and fix the minimum pension under the employee pension scheme at Rs 3,000 per month.
Baalu, who represents Sriperumbudur in Lok Sabha, said the seventh pay commission had recommended Rs 18,000 as minimum wage and Rs 9,000 as monthly pension. However, he said that the Centre only pays Rs 1,000 as monthly pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS).
Trinamool member Saugata Ray also objected to the lowering of interest rate on EPF deposits and voiced concern about the privatisation policy of the government. “The government should not take the victories in the assembly elections to ride roughshod on the workers. Already it has shown its teeth by reducing the interest rate on EPF deposits,” Ray said. (PTI)
The government is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate child labour and has taken comprehensive measures which include legislative action, rehabilitation strategy and providing right to free education, Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday.
Yadav also said that the government is not maintaining centrally data of school-going children, who are involved as labourers with their families.
"The government is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate child labour and has taken comprehensive measures which include legislative measures, rehabilitation strategy, providing right of free education and general socio-economic development so as to eliminate incidence of child labour," he said in the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour. (PTI)
Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said ultraviolet C-band radiation equipment has been installed in chambers of the House to contain the spread of coronavirus.
"I am happy to inform you all that the secretariat has recently installed another safety measure in the chambers of this august House to contain the spread of coronavirus. Equipment has been installed to contain the spread of virus through ultraviolet C-band radiation which is very effective in killing the virus," he said. The technology has been developed by CSIR-CSIO.
Speaking on the first day of the second part of the Budget Session, Naidu noted that with the waning of the third wave, both the Houses of parliament have returned to sitting from 11 am as against working in two shifts during the first part of the session. (PTI)
Bank frauds over the last five years have come down drastically to Rs 648 crore in first nine months of 2021-22, on the back of structural and procedural reforms to check such incidents, Parliament was informed on Monday.
In 2016-17, bank frauds stood at Rs 61,229 crore, which declined to Rs 11,583 crore in 2020-21 and then to Rs 648 crore during April-December 2021-22, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Improved detection and reporting along with comprehensive steps resulted in sharp decline of such frauds, he said.
The Reserve Bank of India had issued master directions on frauds in 2016, he said, adding the government has instituted wide-ranging structural and procedural reforms to check frauds in banks. "Such systematic and comprehensive checking of frauds, including of the legacy stock of non-performing assets (NPAs), led to unearthing of frauds perpetuated over the years," Karad said. (PTI)
Several Rajya Sabha MPs on Monday raised issues related to Indian students evacuated from war-hit Ukraine, and asked the government to take steps to help them complete their studies.
On the first day of the second part of Budget Session, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said a large number of Indian students in Ukraine needed to be evacuated in the context of the situation there.
"This was a very challenging task. The Government of India rose to the occasion by evacuating Indian students as well as some students of other nationalities. These efforts are praiseworthy," he said. Naidu also informed members that the minister concerned will make a statement on the issue, and members can seek clarification.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar (TDP) noted that many students from India had gone for medical education in Ukraine. He said though safety and security of the students have been ensured, their future is at stake and urged the government to take necessary steps to safeguard their future. (PTI)
Discussion on Supplementary Demands for Grants for Jammu and Kashmir for 2021-22 continues in the Lower House of the Parliament in the ongoing Budget session. Earlier, Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman presented the supplementary demands for the year 2021-22 totalling Rs 18,860.32 crore for the Union Territory and moved a motion seeking suspension of certain rules to allow the House to take up the discussion on the same day.
Many states have requested extension of the compensation mechanism under the GST beyond June 2022, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday.
Under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) law, states were guaranteed to be compensated bi-monthly for any loss of revenue in the first five years of GST implementation from July 1, 2017. The shortfall is calculated assuming a 14 per cent annual growth in GST collections by states over the base year of 2015-16. The 5-year period ends in June 2022.
The compensation amount to be paid from the compensation fund is arrived at by levying cess on top of the highest tax slab on luxury, demerit and sin goods. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said the central government is committed to giving GST compensation to states/UTs for 5 years as per the Constitutional provision. (PTI)