Page 25 - Lok Sabha

Centre grants approval for 47 ethanol projects in Bihar for loan subsidies

A total of 47 projects from Bihar have been issued in-principle approvals for interest subvention on bank loans for establishing new or expanding existing distilleries, the government said on Wednesday. Currently, 22 ethanol distilleries - 8 molasses-based and 14 grain-based - are operational in Bihar, Minister of State for Food Nimuben Jayatibhai Bambhaniya said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The government is implementing the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme nationwide, with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) selling petrol blended with ethanol. Under the programme, the government has set a target of 20 per cent ethanol blending with petrol by 2025-26. To boost ethanol production capacity and meet blending targets, the Centre has introduced various Ethanol Interest Subvention Schemes from 2018 to 2022. Under these schemes, 47 projects from Bihar have received in-principle approvals, she said. For each Ethanol Supply Year (ESY), OMCs invite bids from distilleries for etha

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests

In a back and forth, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also hit out at the Opposition, alleging that it is instead Congress which has done conspiracy against B R Ambedkar, questioning their respect

ONOE Bill: Priyanka Gandhi among four Congress members to be on House panel

The BJP is considering the names of its seasoned MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Nishikant Dubey as nominees for the parliamentary panel that will scrutinise simultaneous poll bills, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari are set to be among the Congress representatives, sources said. Sukhdeo Bhagat and Randeep Surjewala are the Congress' other choices for the joint committee of Parliament. Kalyan Banerjee and Saket Gokhale of the Trinamool Congress, Shrikant Shinde of the Shiv Sena, Sanjay Jha of the JD(U), and T M Selvaganapathi and P Wilson of the DMK are expected to be part of the panel which may have 31 members -- 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. Sources said Anurag Thakur and P P Chaudhary are also being considered as the probable BJP choices for the panel in which the saffron party and its allies will be in a majority due to their numerical superiority in Parliament. The two 'One Nation One Election' (ONOE) bills, including one requiring an amendment in

Explained: 'One Nation One Election initiative', key reforms and challenges

The 'One Nation, One Election' is a bold initiative that promises cost savings and administrative efficiency but also raises concerns about its impact on federalism, representation, and practicality

Rs 14,131.6 crore recovered from Vijay Mallya's asset sales: FM Sitharaman

The Enforcement Directorate has restored assets worth Rs 22,280 crore to victims or rightful claimants from cases involving economic offences, the finance minister informed Lok Sabha

'One Nation, One Election' Bill: Key details on 31-member joint committee

One Nation, One Election: Once formed, the Joint Parliamentary Committee will have 90 days to submit its report, though this deadline can be extended if needed

They chant Nehru's name... Cong on Shah's remarks in Parliament on Ambedkar

The Congress leader also asserted that the first Constitutional Amendments in 1951 were brought to promote social reform

Cong MP moves adjournment motion in LS over Amit Shah's Ambedkar remarks

In his adjournment motion notice, Tagore accused Amit Shah of 'insulting' B R Ambedkar's legacy and 'hurting the sentiments of people'

Development will be unhindered for 5 years with ONOE in place: Mahajan

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Tuesday said that if parliamentary and state assembly elections are held simultaneously, then developmental works can happen without any hindrance for five years. Mahajan said this while advocating for the bill having provision of holding these elections simultaneously. Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections in the country were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a fiery 90-minute debate on Tuesday with the opposition terming the move as "dictatorial". Talking to reporters, Mahajan said, "If this bill becomes a law and comes into force, it will be a good thing because development work will be done without any hindrance for five years. All the governments of the country will be able to move forward with a concrete programme of development." "This bill has a long way to go, but it is a good thing that discussions have started on it," she said. The senior BJP leader said that this bill will not come into force ..

Came only to praise PM Modi: Kharge slams Amit Shah's speech in Parliament

Attacking the Home Minister further, Kharge said that Amit Shah had come to Parliament only to praise PM Modi and alleged that BJP is trying to divert people's attention

Govt introduces ONOP bills, says they will be referred to House panel

Meghwal introduced the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill after a nearly 90-minute debate, followed by a division of votes. As many as 269 members voted in favour of the Bill and 198 against it

Simultaneous polls: Gains must be weighed against Constitutional concerns

The idea of holding simultaneous elections is not new for India. In fact, elections for many years after Independence were held simultaneously

Parliament highlights: Cong never worked for welfare of backward classes,we uplift them, says Shah

Parliament Winter Session updates: Following its introduction in the Lok Sabha, the "One Nation One Election" Bill is expected to be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee

Sale of Shein products in India was never banned, Piyush Goyal tells LS

Sale of "branded products" from Chinese online fast fashion brand Shein was not banned, though its app was blocked on June 29, 2020, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Shein was one of the apps to be banned by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in June 2020 after tension with China escalated on the Himalayan borders. "Sale of Shein-branded products in India was not banned," Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The country's leading retailer Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) through its subsidiary RRL (Reliance Retail Ltd), has entered into a technology agreement with Roadget Business Pte Ltd, which owns Shein based in Singapore to develop an indigenous e-commerce retail platform, he said. This platform is intended to create a network of local manufacturers and suppliers who will manufacture products under the brand Shein and sell them domestically and globally. "It is expected that this will help in the ...

House panel asks DRDO to excel R-D warfare in hybrid, kinetic, non-kinetic

Underlining that the ongoing conflict in the international arena has revealed the "hazards of a hybrid warfare", a parliamentary panel has recommend that the DRDO should expand its R&D efforts to enhance combat readiness against any non-conventional warfare and security threats. In its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the committee has noted "with concern that out of 55 projects, 23 were not completed within the stipulated time". "Although, 571 projects worth Rs 34161.58 cr have been successfully completed and closed during the last 10 years (1 Jan 2012 -- till date), with respect to projects which were partially successful or unsuccessful, eight such projects worth Rs 770.31 cr were stage closed during this period," the report said. The report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence is titled -- 'Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/ Recommendations contained in the Forty-Second Report (17th Lok Sabha) of the Standing Committee on Defence on the ...

PM favoured referring ONOE Bill to JPC for wider discussions: Shah tells LS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi favoured detailed discussion at every level on the 'one nation, one election' bill and wanted it to be referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday. Shah made the remarks in Lok Sabha when the House was hearing objections to the introduction of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill that seeks to usher in simultaneous polls to the Lower House and state assemblies. "When One Nation, One Election bills came up in Cabinet, PM Modi said these should be referred to the Joint Committee of Parliament. There should be a detailed discussion over it at every level," Shah said. The home minister pointed out that DMK member T R Baalu too had favoured referring the bill to a parliamentary committee. Shah said the bill can be discussed in greater detail in the Joint Committee of Parliament. The report of the JPC will be approved by the Union Cabinet and the Bill can be discussed again in Parliament, he said. The Constitution

'One Nation One Election' Bill tabled; Congress calls it unconstitutional

The govt tabled the 'One Nation One Election' Bill today; Congress and SP called it unconstitutional and sought its immediate withdrawal

Centre set to table 'One Nation One Election' Bill in Lok Sabha today

The government is set to introduce 'One Nation One Election' Bill in Lok Sabha today; Opposition calls it anti-democratic, cites concerns over federal structure

Bill on simultaneous polls: Cong mandates presence of its MPs in Lok Sabha

The Congress has issued a whip to its Lok Sabha MPs, mandating their presence in the House, with the constitutional amendment bill for holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously listed for introduction in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday. Sources said a three-line whip has been issued to Congress Lok Sabha MPs, mandating their presence in the House for Tuesday's "crucial proceedings", sources said. The party's Lok Sabha MPs will also hold a meeting at 10.30 AM to discuss Tuesday's business in the House at the Congress Parliamentary Party office in Parliament, they said. The constitutional amendment bill for holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously has been listed for introduction in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday and could be referred to a joint committee of the two Houses. The Lok Sabha agenda said the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, popularly being referred to as the Bill on "one nation, one election"

Bill on simultaneous polls listed for introduction in LS on Tuesday

A constitutional amendment bill for holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously has been listed for introduction in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday and could be referred to a joint committee of the two Houses. The Lok Sabha agenda said the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, popularly being referred to as the Bill on "one nation, one election", will be introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. After its introduction, Meghwal will request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the Bill to a Joint Committee of Parliament for wider consultations. The minister will also introduce the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to align the elections of the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry and the NCT of Delhi. The joint panel will be constituted on a pro-rata basis, based on the strength of MPs of various parties. As the largest party, the BJP will get the chairmanship of the committee, besides