Sonia Gandhi urged the Centre to allocate a proper budget for MGNREGA and pay wages to labourers withing 15 days of work.Parliament Budget Session 2022 Live Updates: Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi lamented the constant cuts in budgetary allocation to MGNREGA, even though timely help was given to crores of affected poor families during COVID and lockdown under the scheme. “This is weakening the legal guarantee of timely payment and jobs. This year’s MGNREGA budget is 35 per cent less than that of 2020 even when unemployment is rising continuously. Due to cuts in the budget payment of workers gets delayed. Supreme Court has called this forced labour,” Gandhi said.
During his farewell speech to the 72 retiring members of the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that academic knowledge often has limitations, but “experience brings easy solutions to problems and reduces the margin of error”. “When such experienced members retire, the House and the country feel the void. Those that remain have added responsibilities and to take forward the work done by these members,” he said. He urged all retiring members to take their experience in all directions of the country.
The Lok Sabha on Thursday is scheduled to discuss The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022. The Bill amends the SC order to exclude Gond community as a Scheduled Tribe in four districts of Uttar Pradesh – Chandauli, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar and Sant Ravidas Nagar. The Lower House will also continue its discussion on climate change raised by DMK MP Kanimozhi.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks in the Lok Sabha during the second part of Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Friday. (PTI)
As many as 37,078 accidents involving trucks or lorries occurred in 2019, causing 13,532 deaths, Parliament was informed on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that as many as 23,868 people were killed in road accidents in which impacting vehicles were trucks or lorries in 2018, while the total number of accidents involving trucks or lorries stood at 57,441. Gadkari said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken various steps in the interest of drivers including truck drivers such as wayside amenities, food court, truck parking bays etc. on National Highways. (PTI)
State-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning a cashless treatment facility for road accident victims on all four arms of the Golden Quadrilateral stretch, Parliament was informed on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the success of the scheme may be assessed only after it is implemented on the ground after the conclusion of the bidding process and on-boarding of the selected insurance company.
"NHAI is planning a cashless treatment facility for the road accident victims, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians/cyclists on identified National Highway stretches between Delhi-Mumbai/ Mumbai-Chennai/ Chennai-Kolkata/ Kolkata-Agra & Agra-Delhi Corridors of the Golden Quadrilateral (NH) for treatment of the bodily injury caused by and arising out of road accident," Gadkari said. (PTI)
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday questioned the government on the effects of the PM Gati Shakti scheme, the Centre's big-ticket infrastructure project, on India's commitment to cut emissions to net-zero by 2070.
Taking part in a discussion on climate change in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi said while he supported the development, the scheme, which is a national master plan for multi-modal connectivity entailing large-scale construction, will raise emissions. "Lakhs of rupees have been allocated to PM Gati Shakti for infrastructure for railways, airports and highways. This scheme is the greatest challenge for India.
"We would need coal, high-emission producing technology will be required. It will raise emissions. What is the model that will keep emissions low? Will the government make a rule that only lower-emission technology will be used?" he asked. Gogoi also said while the environment minister had stated in Glasgow during COP26 that India will reduce the use of coal, the transition to alternative fuel has to be planned just to ensure that people connected to the sector do not suffer. (PTI)
Airlines have been told to strictly follow the 'one hand bag' rule, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had issued a circular on February 24, 2000 to enforce the rule, he said during the Question Hour.
However, ladies hand bag, an overcoat or wrap, a rug or a blanket, a camera or a pair of binoculars, reasonable amount of reading material for flight, umbrella or walking stick, infant's feed for consumption during flight and infant's carrying basket provided an infant is carried, collapsible wheel chair or a pair of crutches or braces for passenger's use if dependent on these and a gift item purchased from duty free shops are among the items that can be carried along with the hand bag. (PTI)
Members of the Lok Sabha are discussing climate change today. While, the Upper House is bidding farewell to its 72 retiring members.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia informed the Lok Sabha that there are 18 remote pilot training centres licensed by the DGCA.
Scindia stated that number of pilots for drone operations and training centres would increase in the coming years.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha that as of March 13, 2022, India has 10,95,746 registered electric vehicles with 1,742 charging stations.
He added that on a year-over-year basis, overall electric vehicle sales had risen 162 percent. Two-wheeler sales had increased more than five times (at 423 per cent), three-wheelers by 75 per cent, four-wheelers by 238 per cent and buses by 1,250 per cent.
Air India, Air India Express and Alliance Air suffered a total loss of Rs 17,032 crore between April 2020 and December 2021, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in the Lok Sabha.
He said the highest loss was incurred by the now privatised Air India with Rs 9,373 crore loss in 2020-21 and Rs 6,927 crore in 2021-22 (upto December 2021).
Air India Express incurred Rs 184 crore profit in 2020-21 and Rs 161 crore loss in 2021-22 (till December 2021), he said during the Question Hour. The minister said Alliance Air's loss was Rs 440 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 315 crore in 2021-22 (till December 2021). (PTI)
Giving his best wishes to those retiring from the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told them to "come again" to the House. He also told them to pen down their experiences and contributions. "We want the members to come again. As the Chairman said, some retiring members have long experience. That means the repository of experience lies with these members."
As many as 1,783 flights are being operated by foreign airlines every week from India beginning March 27, while 1,465 flights are being run by domestic airlines, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in Lok Sabha.
He also said that two new airlines -- the new avatar of Jet Airways and Akasa Air-- will take to the skies this year.
"On March 27, we have opened all international sector capacity. Foreign airlines will fly 1,783 flights per week and domestic airlines will fly 1,465 flights (per week)," he said during the Question Hour. (PTI)
Opposition members, including those from the Congress and Trinamool Congress, walked out from the Lok Sabha to protest against the continuous hike in fuel prices.
As soon as the House assembled, opposition members started the protest against the hike in fuel prices and demanded that it should be withdrawn. Raising slogans and carrying placards, the members shouted slogans against the Modi government for its alleged "anti-people" policies. Apart from Congress and Trinamool Congress, those who took part in the protests include DMK, CPI, CPI-M and TRS members.
After nearly 30 minutes, some members, including Congress and Trinamool Congress, staged a walk out in protest. (PTI)
Responding to Congress' Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that during the UPA government's tenure till 2013-14, the budget of Rs 30,000 crore allocated to MGNREGA was not utlised. "But during crisis, Modi government made a provision of over Rs 1 lakh crores. Today, MGNREGA workers get money into their accounts with the click of a button. PM Modi opened Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts and the MGNREGA workers' money is transferred into those accounts," he added.
Thakur's response was met with objection from Congress MPs, who also protested in the House.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi lamented the constant cuts in budgetary allocation to MGNREGA, even though timely help was given to crores of affected poor families during COVID and lockdown under the scheme.
“This is weakening the legal guarantee of timely payment and jobs. This year's MGNREGA budget is 35 per cent less than that of 2020 even when unemployment is rising continuously. Due to cuts in the budget payment of workers gets delayed. Supreme Court has called this forced labour,” Gandhi said.
She urged the Centre to allocate a proper budget for MGNREGA, pay wages to labourers withing 15 days of work and determine Annual Action Plan of states without delay.]
Bidding farewell to 72 retiring Rajya Sabha members, Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, also Leader of Opposition in the House, said that there are ups and downs, but one should never leave the ground. "We should keep that in mind while working for the people," he said.
"Rajya Sabha is a permanent House, some members will retire while some others will come, it'll go on forever. We might have a difference of opinions, but we have to ensure that we work efficiently," he added.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said that over the last four years, the August House has lost over 35 per cent of its valuable functional time due to disruptions. 'This needs to be curbed before it is too late. I hope everybody maintains dignity, decorum, and has meaningful discussions,” he said.
He further appealed to the news media to report not just the disruptions of the Parliament but also the constructive discussions.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said that the retirement of about one-third members of the House is a big occasion, adding that the members have a combined experience of 143 terms.
The retiring members include Anand Sharma, A K Antony, Subramanian Swamy, M C Mary Kom and Swapan Dasgupta, while the terms of Nirmala Sitharaman, Suresh Prabhu, M J Akbar, Jairam Ramesh, Vivek Tankha, V Vijayasai Reddy will end in June.
During his farewell speech to the 72 retiring members of the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that academic knowledge often has limitations, but "experience brings easy solutions to problems and reduces the margin of error". "When such experienced members retire, the House and the country feel the void. Those that remain have added responsibilities and to take forward the work done by these members.
"I have confidence that the retiring members are leaving behind a legacy. We must think at times that I have contributed to the House, but the House has also contributed to our lives. We take more from the House than we give to it," Modi said.
He urged all retiring members to take their experience in all directions of the country. "We should strive to ensure that what we have experienced and understood in this House should be written down for the benefit of the future generations," the Prime Minister added.
A Congress MP from Punjab urged the government on Wednesday to bring in a "Pakistan-like" law to restrict the number of guests at weddings to 50 each from the bride and groom's sides as well as to limit the elaborate feasts that get served to the guests.
Speaking during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Jasbir Singh Gill from Khadoor Sahib said that such a law would not cost the government anything and yet bring in the good wishes of millions while claiming that such a law exists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“This kind of law is needed to limit wastage of money and resources in weddings,” Gills said. India needs to bring in this law in order to save the people, he added.
Citing a wedding feast menu that he was carrying with him as an example, Gill claimed that in some wedding feasts, the guests are served as many as 289 items and the cost comes to around Rs 2,500 per plate.