Page 39 - Rajya Sabha

Govt says no plan formulated to phase out old coal-based power plants

The government on Tuesday said it has not formulated any plan to phase out old coal-based thermal power plants in the country. India has set an ambitious energy transition programme, which includes having 500 GW of renewable energy capacity, by 2030. "No Sir, Central Electricity Authority vide an advisory dated January 20, 2023 suggested that no retirement or repurposing of coal-based power stations will be done before 2030 considering the expected energy demand scenario and availability of capacity in future," Power Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. He was replying to a question on whether the government has formulated any plan to phase out the old coal-based thermal power plants in the country, including in Odisha. Singh said that operators of thermal power plants were also advised implementation of Renovations & Modernisation (R&M) and Life Extension (LE) of their units for running up to 2030 and beyond or operating in two-shift mode to facilitate ..

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O'Brien allowed to attend RS after motion to suspend him not put to vote

Rajya Sabha on Tuesday witnessed high drama over the suspension of TMC MP Derek O'Brien with the Chairman first announcing that he has to withdraw from the House but later said the motion to suspend him was not put to vote and hence, he could continue to attend the proceedings. O'Brien was allowed to attend the House proceedings after Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he has taken a "far-sighted" decision to not allow voting on the motion to suspend him which did not fructify. The Chairman had earlier announced the suspension of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader for his unruly behaviour in the House. Several members, including Pramod Tiwari (Congress), urged the Chair to take a lenient view on O'Brien, but the Chairman asked why he should show leniency. "If O'Brien would have been suspended from the House for this session, do you think he would have been allowed to enter the House again? Can he come back again?" the chairman said, adding that for him action against any .

Monsoon Session: Parliament clears inter-services organisations bill

The Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to provide the commander-in-chief and officer-in-command of inter-services organisations disciplinary and administrative powers over personnel from other forces serving in such establishments. The bill was cleared in Rajya Sabha with a voice vote. Lok Sabha had had given its nod to the legislation on August 4. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India is fully prepared to face any type of warfare and the country's defence spending can be increased to 5-6 per cent of GDP if needed. In his reply to discussion on The Interservices Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, Singh said also said filling vacancies in the armed forces is a continuous process. The country's maritime interest is fully protected and there is no reason for the house to worry about it, he said, adding "Also, we are fully prepared for any type of warfare." This preparedness will continue going forward, Singh asserted. On low defence spendin

Delhi Services Bill: Amit Shah’s powerful reply in Rajya Sabha

Home Minister Amit Shah said the urgency behind first bringing an ordinance and now the Bill was to stop AAP from transferring officials connected to the probe into the Rs 2,000-crore liquor "scam.

No confidence motion in Parliament today: Here's all you should know

The no confidence debate will run for three days and will be initiated by Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi at 12 pm

RS adjourned twice amid uproar over US media report on Chinese funding

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the second time in the pre-lunch period amid uproar in the House over a media report on Chinese funding to a news portal to spread propaganda against India. BJP member Sudhanshu Trivedi raised the issue and questioned the Congress for its alleged links with the portal. He raised the matter of a US media report alleging that web portal "NewsClick" received Chinese funding to spread propaganda against India. Trivedi asked the Congress about its alleged links with the portal, saying the party supported it when ED conducted raids on it. Amid the din created by opposition members over the charge, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the house till 12.45 pm. Trivedi said there are certain things which have come in The New York Times about propaganda spread against India. An American has said that the Communist Party of China has tried to use propaganda against India through foreign funding in Newsclick, he said. Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said, "

TMC's Derek O' Brien suspended from RS for remainder of monsoon session

Leader of House Piyush Goyal said that he will check the availability of Home Minister Amit Shah and if the opposition members are willing, the discussion can take place at 12 noon

Ready to discuss Manipur on Aug 11, have nothing to hide: Shah to Oppn

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the government is ready for a discussion on the Manipur issue on August 11 and claimed that it was the opposition which was running away from it. August 11 is the last date of the Monsoon session. The discussion on the no-confidence motion will be taken up in the Lok Sabha from August 8 to 10. The motion was moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi to force Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on the contentious Manipur issue. During a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the Delhi services bill, Shah said that he has written to the House chairman that he is ready to debate on the Manipur issue. "I am ready to discuss Manipur on August 11 and we have nothing to hide. You have many things to hide so you all do not want to talk," he said. The home minister said that he is ready to answer all queries of the members as it is his constitutional obligation. Shah said the opposition is seeking discussions under Rule 267, which has a voting provision and is

Rajya Sabha passes Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill

Parliament on Monday approved a bill that allows the use of a birth certificate as a single document for admission to an educational institution, issuance of a driving licence, preparation of voter list, Aadhaar number, registration of marriage or appointment to a government job. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023, piloted by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, was cleared in the Rajya Sabha by voice vote. The Lok Sabha passed the bill on August 1. The legislation will also help create a national and state-level database of registered births and deaths which eventually would ensure efficient and transparent delivery of public services and social benefits and digital registration. It will facilitate the insertion of provisions for digital registration and electronic delivery of certificates of births and deaths, and create a national and state-level database of registered births and deaths which would help in updating other databases resulting in

Govt wins numbers game as Delhi services Bill gets Rajya Sabha nod

NDA: 131, INDIA: 102; voting was the first show of strength of Oppn bloc

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Expanding powers

The registration Bill is as draconian as the old one

675 slum clusters housing 1.5 mn people in Delhi, Rajya Sabha told

In Delhi, there are 675 slum clusters in which around 15.5 lakh people are living, the Rajya Sabha was told on Monday. In a written reply to a question, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has rehabilitated 8,379 people in 2022-23. "The DDA has informed that an amount of Rs 212.73 crore has been spent on rehabilitation of these 8,379 people, including slum clearance," the minister said. He also said the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has informed that 1,297 people were rehabilitated in the last five years. "The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) has identified 675 Jhuggi Jhopdi (JJ) Bastis and as per list of these JJ Bastis, there are 30,6521 jhuggi units. The DUSIB has further informed that about 15.5 lakh people are living in these JJ bastis," Kishore said. According to the minister, the central government supplements

Delhi services bill perfectly, legitimately valid: Ranjan Gogoi in RS

Former Chief Justice of India and Rajya Sabha MP Ranjan Gogoi on Monday said the bill to replace an ordinance for handling the transfers and postings of officials in the Delhi government is "perfectly, legitimately valid". Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha last week. Participating in the debate on the bill, Gogoi, a nominated member of the Upper House, said it is the prerogative and the right of the members of the House to debate, and the question of the proposed legislation being sub-judice does not arise. Several leaders from the opposition parties have termed the Delhi services bill as "unconstitutional". Some even suggested that Parliament should not take up the bill saying the matter was pending before the Supreme Court. "So far as overreaching or outreaching the order of the court, Supreme Court, is concerned, very shortly p

Monsoon Session: RS takes up Bill to replace Delhi services ordinance

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha last week

RS adjourned till 2 amid uproar; House revokes suspension of Cong MP Patil

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Monday amid uproar as opposition parties demanded a discussion on Manipur violence while members from the treasury benches sought to raise matters related to the law and order situation in Rajasthan. Soon after the House revoked the suspension of Congress MP Rajani Patil with a voice vote, BJP members rose to seek a discussion on the law and order situation in Rajasthan in view of atrocities reported against women in the state. However, Congress and other opposition party members pressed for a discussion on the prevailing situation in Manipur. The proceedings in the Hose have been disrupted since the start of the Monsoon session on the Manipur issue. Amid ruckus, Leader of the House and Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the government had agreed for a short duration discussion on Manipur, but opposition does not want discuss it. Patil was suspended from Rajya Sabha during the Budget session for violating rules of the House by ...

After LS nod, Delhi services bill in RS today; AAP issues whip to its MPs

The bill was passed in Lok Sabha after a debate of around four hours which was replied to by Home Minister Amit Shah

Delhi services bill in Rajya Sabha on Monday; Cong, AAP issue whip to MPs

With the Delhi services bill set to be taken up in Rajya Sabha on Monday, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have issued whips to their MPs asking them to be present in the Upper House till its adjournment. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, has already been passed by Lok Sabha. Jairam Ramesh, the Congress' chief whip in the Upper House, issued a three-line whip on August 4, saying that "very important issues will be taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha on Monday i.e. August 7, 2023". "All members of Congress Party in Rajya Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11 am onwards till the adjournment of the House on Monday, August 7, 2023, without fail and support the party stand," the chief whip said. This may be treated as most important, Ramesh added. On Sunday, a reminder was also sent to the party's MPs in Rajya Sabha. "Be present positively in Rajya Sabha from 10:45 am onwards till the adjournment of the Hou

Debate, discussion should take place: Dhankar flags concerns on disruptions

Addressing a valedictory function of the 'Festival of Libraries' in Delhi, Dhankar also flagged concerns over repeated adjournments in both Houses of Parliament