Page 79 - Parliament

Closely monitor capex to boost growth, employment: Parliamentary panel

The Standing Committee, headed by Jayant Sinha, highlighted the need for forward-looking surveys by industry and region to anticipate future trends

Compromise on road quality under PMGSY completely unacceptable: Parl panel

Flagging "poor quality" of many roads built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a parliamentary panel has said that such compromise was "completely unacceptable" and suggested that the thickness of roads under the scheme be increased from existing 20 mm to 30 mm. In its report tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Department Related Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj also stressed on the need for better centre-state cooperation to properly implement the scheme. The panel, which is headed by DMK MP Kanimozhi, stated that it is "constrained to note that the quality of road construction under PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) is an important issue affecting the entire country". "This glaring issue which casts aspersions on the marquee scheme of the central government has wider ramification on the hopes of rural populace of the country," the committee said. It also said the compromise in the quality of construction of roads was completely unaccepta

No-confidence motion in Parliament: Should Modi govt worry?

The Opposition has proposed a no-confidence motion against the Modi-led government in Lok Sabha due to the recent ethnic clashes in Manipur. Should the Modi govt worry? Watch the video to know.

PM Modi not speaking in parl but making speeches in Rajasthan: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of not speaking in Parliament and instead making political speeches in Rajasthan. Kharge said people have now become aware and will fight "this kind of politics". "Today, people have become aware and they will fight and continue to do so...This means you do not want to talk in Parliament - the temple of democracy, and want to give a political speech in Rajasthan while opening new medical colleges," he told reporters outside Parliament, while attacking the prime minister for not speaking in Parliament on the Manipur violence. The opposition has been accusing the prime minister of not making a statement in Parliament on the northeastern state, which has seen violence since May 3. Both Houses of Parliament have not been able to transact any business amid the uproar caused by the opposition, demanding a statement from the prime minister and a discussion on Manipur thereafter.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid ruckus created by Oppn parties

The Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the second time till 2 pm on Thursday amid continuous sloganeering by members of both treasury benches and the opposition. Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who was allowed by the chair to raise questions on the statement made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the latest developments in India's foreign policy, could not speak in the House due to the uproar. Soon after the House met at 12 noon, after an initial adjournment, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar allowed Kharge to speak but treasury benches started raising slogans. The opposition members also countered them and raised slogans, which led to a pandemonium in the House. Slogans like "kaale kapde, kaala kaam, nahin sahega Hindustan" were heard in the House when the Leader of Opposition rose to speak. The reference was towards the opposition members who were wearing black clothes as a mark of protest for not allowing them to raise the Manipur issue in the House. After

Costing Rs 2.5 lakh per minute, logjams in Parliament are a costly affair

The Lok Sabha overall recorded a productivity of 34 per cent, while the Rajya Sabha's productivity was 24.4% during this Budget Session

Lok Sabha adjourns till 2 pm amid opposition protests on Manipur issue

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday as Opposition parties continued to protest on the Manipur issue. Members from various opposition parties sought to raise the issue as soon as the House met for the day. Some members shouted slogans and displayed placards in the Well of the House. Speaker Om Birla reminded them that it was not appropriate to do so, saying it was against the decorum of the House. "We have been elected and sent here by people to discuss their issues," he said and urged the members to have good discussions. The whole country is watching and there is a good tradition in the House, Birla said and added that he will give time to discuss the issues. However, the opposition members continued with their protests. Amid the din, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings in less than seven minutes till 2 pm while one question was taken up during the Question Hour. Since the start of the Monsoon Session on July 20, Parliamentary proceedings have been disru

Opposition creating ruckus, govt ready for discussion on Manipur: BJP MP

His remarks came after the opposition alliance INDIA moved a no-confidence motion to the House by Congress Party MP Gaurav Gogoi against the Government a day earlier

INDIA alliance MPs to wear black clothes to protest over Manipur issue

Congress and other opposition parties have been demanding a detailed discussion on the situation in Manipur and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi

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About 601 km of Char Dham Yatra All Weather Road completed: Gadkari

Construction work of about 601 km on the 825-km 'Char Dham Yatra All Weather Road' has been completed, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Improvement of 5 National Highways (NHs) connecting Chardham -- Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, including Tanakpur to Pithoragarh section of Kailas-Mansarovar yatra -- covering a total length of 825 km is being undertaken in Uttarakhand, Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. Out of 825 km, about 601 km has been completed, he added. On the status of the Delhi-Dehradun Highway, he said, "The total length of Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor is about 213 km which was awarded at the cost of about Rs 6,392 crores and has present progress of 30.7 per cent".

Consider resumption of economic ties with Pakistan: Par panel urges Centre

A parliamentary panel has asked the government to consider resumption of economic ties with Pakistan and work towards broader people-to-people contacts given the "cultural commonalities and civilisational linkages" between the two countries. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs chaired by BJP leader P P Chaudhary, in its report on 'India's Neighbourhood First Policy' presented to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, observed that the policy was dynamic and that it adjusts to the country's renewed interests in the region while evolving according to regional circumstances. The Committee urges the Government to consider the establishment of economic ties with Pakistan if they come forward and work towards broader people-to-people contacts in view of the cultural commonalities and civilisational linkages between our two countries and no feeling of enmity amongst citizens of both the countries, said the committee in its report. Being aware of China's Belt and Road vision and ...

Opposition MPs demand parl committee vetting of data protection bill

In a meeting held on Wednesday, members from the ruling side proposed the standing committee to adopt the draft report

All no confidence motions defeated or inconclusive in past; 3 govts fell

No confidence motions have been moved in Lok Sabha 27 times in the past, and all of them have either been defeated or remained inconclusive, data compiled by a think tank shows. However, at least thrice governments have fallen during vote on a 'motion of confidence', which is a motion brought by the government to prove its strength. A no confidence motion is a formal proposal moved by the opposition against the government in Lok Sabha under Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. According to data compiled by PRS Legislative Research, the highest number of no confidence motions - 15 - in the history of independent India was moved against governments led by Indira Gandhi. In 1979, a no confidence motion moved against the Morarji Desai government had led to his resignation, even as the debate remained inconclusive and there was no voting. Thrice governments have fallen during the vote of confidence - the VP Singh government in 1990, H D Devegowda ...

Pralhad Joshi introduces Mines and Minerals Bill 2023 in Lok Sabha

A bill seeking grant of exploration licence to private sector players for deep-seated and critical minerals was introduced in Parliament on Wednesday. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation Amendment) Bill, 2023 also empowers the central government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for certain critical minerals. Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi introduced the bill in Lok Sabha amid continuous slogan-shouting by opposition members over the Manipur issue. According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, the amendments "would facilitate, encourage and incentivize private sector participation in all spheres of mineral exploration for critical and deep-seated minerals". The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 has already been amended several times earlier. However, the mineral sector requires certain more reforms particularly for increasing exploration and mining of critical minerals that are essenti

How many Indians filed non-zero income tax returns in AY 2022-23?

Only nine states and union territories had more than a million non-zero returns

India suspends another drugmaker's licence over tainted cough syrup

India has suspended a drugmaker's manufacturing licence after the World Health Organization flagged contamination in its cough syrups found in the Mashall Islands and Micronesia in April

Lok Sabha passes bill on bio-diversity, proceedings adjourned till 5 PM

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 5 pm on Tuesday amid protests by opposition parties on the violence in Manipur. Amidst the din, the House passed the The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill. The Bill was introduced in Parliament on December 16, 2021 by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The bill would amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The Bill was moved to a joint committee on December 20, 2021 due to concerns that the amendments favoured industry and contradicted the spirit of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The joint committee submitted its report in Parliament on August 2, 2022 with the recommendation that the Bill may be passed after the inclusion of their recommendations. Many MPs spoke on the advantages of the amendments to the bill and said its benefit includes aligning bio-diversity with the Companies Act. Yadav said the bill is significant as the world is facing triple crisis of climate change, ...

Make comprehensive statement in both houses on Manipur violence: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a "comprehensive" statement in both houses of Parliament on the violence in Manipur. He said the situation in the northeast was fragile and the repercussions of the Manipur violence seem to be spilling over to other states too, asserting that it was not good for the country's sensitive border states. Kharge said 83 days of unabated violence in Manipur require that the prime minister make a comprehensive statement in Parliament. "Stories of absolute horror are now slowly trickling down. INDIA demands answers from the Modi Government on Manipur violence," he said on Twitter. Kharge said it was high time that Modi sheds his "ego" and takes the country into confidence on Manipur. "PM Modi must tell what his government is doing to improve the situation and when will normalcy return in Manipur," he said. The opposition has been demanding a statement from the prime minister in both houses of ...

Over 6,000 posts of Captain, Major ranks vacant in Army: MoS Ajay Bhatt

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said that in order to mitigate the shortage, a proposal to make short service entry more attractive is under consideration