Competition Bill Amendments passed in Rajya Sabha without discussion

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday after passing the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 without discussion amid uproar by opposition members over the Adani issue.

Soon after the Upper House reassembled at 2 pm, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar greeted the members on the occasion of Rajya Sabha Day and urged them to participate in discussion, dialogue and deliberations instead of indulging in disruptions.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman then moved the the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration and passage amid slogan-shouting by Opposition members.

Dhankhar put the Bill to voice vote even as the Opposition members continued slogan shouting and passed it before adjourning the House for the day.

The House will now meet on Wednesday.

The bill, which was passed on March 29 by Lok Sabha, provides for the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to impose penalties on entities based on their global turnover instead of the current practice of considering only relevant market turnover. The Corporate Affairs Ministry has made certain amendments to the original bill.

The Bill was introduced in Parliament on August 5 last year. Then, it was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance chaired by BJP member Jayant Sinha. The panel tabled its report in Parliament on December 13.

Earlier in the day, the Upper House was adjourned as MPs from the Congress and other opposition parties created a ruckus, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the charges against the Adani Group.

Congress MPs sported black clothes while TMC members wore black face masks.

Opposition MPs began shouting slogans as the Chairman called for laying of the listed official papers on the table of the House at the start of the day's proceedings.

No sooner had the papers been laid than Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.