On the first day of the second part of the Budget session, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented a ₹1.42-lakh-crore budget, along with proposals for supplementary demands of grants for Jammu and Kashmir. This was followed by members of the Lower House taking up the bill for discussion.
In today’s session, the House is discussing the Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministry of Railways for 2022-23.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh has made a statement on the issue of the inadvertent missile firing, while Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar has briefed the Lower House about the situation in Ukraine, detailing the rescue of Indian nationals from conflict zones.
Here are the latest updates:
Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned for the day
Speaker Om Birla adjourns the Lok Sabha proceedings until 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
Get rid of rate of return system used by British: Nishikant Dubey to Railway Minister
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey demands the Indian Railways got rid of rate of return system for railway connectivity. He says the British had used this approached to select the areas to connect with railway network but the Indian Railways was still following the system.
“I request the Railway Minister with folded hands to do away with the rate of return system. This way, I think, we can make India a true welfare state,” he says.
He says even today we talk of expanding the railway network in economic hubs like Mumbai but forget that the railway wouldn’t be able to function without the coal from Jharkhand.
BJP MP praises Om Birla for running House till midnight
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey lauds Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for coming up with the provisions of running the House till midnight until topics are discussed.
He says, “The people from our respective constituencies will be happy to know is they cast their vote standing in lines under bright sun, the parliament of this country also thinks and works for their welfare even at night.”
Death sentence to woman from Kerala in Yemen raised in House
Congress member from Kerala, Dean Kuriakose, sought the External Affairs Minister’s intervention in the case of a 33-year-old woman, Nimisha Priya, jailed in Yemen for the alleged killing of a Yemeni national.
“It [killing] happened accidentally in the nature of self-protection... I urge the External Affairs Minister to intervene in this case for immediate relief of Nimisha Priya from Yemen jail,” Mr. Kuriakose said.
In Lok Sabha, DMK raises issue of Tamil Nadu Governor sitting on Bills
Delay in getting the Governor’s nod to bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly was among important issues that were raised in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Raising the issue of the Governor not giving his approval to the Bills passed by the legislature, DMK’s T.R. Baalu said more than seven Bills have been passed by the Assembly but the Governor had neither given his approval nor sent them to the President. “Are we running a jungle raj? How can we run a government,” he asked.
Clarification sought from Rajasthan and Manipur on anti-lynching Bills: Home Ministry
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that certain clarifications have been sought from the Governments of Rajasthan and Manipur regarding the anti-lynching Bills passed by the two Assemblies in 2019 and 2018 respectively.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in a written reply that lynching is not defined as a crime under the Indian Penal Code. He was responding to a question by Congress member Manish Tewari.
The Hindu reported on February 15 that anti-mob lynching Bills passed by at least three Opposition ruled States and one BJP ruled State in the past four years are caught up in various levels of non-implementation with the Union Government taking a view that lynching is not defined as a crime under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Lok Janshakti Party MP Prince Raj demands that all pre-COVID time trains be now run regularly.
BJP MP Anil Firojiya lauds Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnav for the successful testing of Kavach technology.
Total population of stray dog, stray cattle at 203.31 lakh as per 2019 census
The government on Tuesday said that the total population of stray dog and stray cattle was 203.31 lakh as per the 2019 census.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala said: “National level of information regarding livestock population is collected every five years.
“The last livestock census was conducted in 2019 and next census is due in 2024. As per 2019 census, total population of stray dog and stray cattle in the country was 203.31 lakh.” The management of public health, sanitation and cattle pounds comes under the purview of the State/UT Government and the local bodies need to evolve the mechanism to control stray animals in order to protect the citizens, he added. - PTI
Incident of Naxal violence down by 77%: Nityanand Rai
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, told the Lok Sabha in a written reply that the incidents of Naxal or Left Wing Extremism (LWE) have reduced by 77% from a record high of 2,258 in 2009 to 509 in 2021.
The minister further said that deaths of both civilians and security forces have also come down by 85% from 1,005 in 2010 to 147 in 2021. - ANI
325 people died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in five years
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Ramdas Athawale, said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha that no death has been reported for engaging in manual scavenging (defined in the law as lifting of human excreta from insanitary latrines), but 325 people have lost their lives in accidents while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks in the last five years.
The highest number of such deaths were reported in Uttar Pradesh with 52 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu- 43, Delhi- 42, Haryana- 33 and Maharashtra- 30
Family members of 276 people who died during the said period have been compensated, he added.- PTI
PIB Fact Check responded to more than 31,000 queries
The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, told the Lok Sabha that the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check unit, started in 2019 to check fake news , has responded to 31, 174 queries so far.
Responding to a question on government initiatives to ban online channels broadcasting fake news, Mr. Thakur replied that news publishers on digital media are covered under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
“Part-III of these Rules provides for blocking of content of such news publishers for violation of Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000,” he said, adding that by invoking these rules the MIB in 2021 and 2022 ordered the blocking of 56 YouTube based news channels and their social media accounts from public access.- PTI
Kerala totally neglected in Railways, says INC MP from Kozhikode
INC MP from Kerala, M.K. Raghavan, says Kerala is totally neglected with respect to Railways sector. “Unfortunately we have a bitter experience on development of railways due to step-motherly attitude toward Kerala by the Centre.
As the House proceedings have been extended to go on until 10 p.m., Union Minister says dinner has been arranged for the members in the Parliament building.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla demands old pension scheme for the employees of Indian Railways.
When’s the ‘Shubh Muhurat’ to sell Indian Railways, asks Nusrat Jahan
TMC MP Nusrat Jahan Ruhi alleges that the government was planning on selling the Indian Railways to private players.
“You have already sold Air India. When is the ‘Shubh Muhurat’ to sell the Indian Railways?” Ms. Jahan Ruhi asks. She further says that proposals for Public-Private Partnership had already started and it was “the beginning of this ultimate purpose”.
The MP from West Bengal’s Bashirat asked Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnav to lay down his future plan to run the Railways.
It was Indian Railways’ glorious era when Mamata was Minister: Nusrat Jahan
TMC MP Nusrat Jahan Ruhi says fare of railway tickets has been increased in every budget of this government. “It has become out of reach for common people to travel in trains like Rajdhani and Duranto,” she says, while claiming that it was “much easier in the past when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister of India”.
“That was actually the glorious era of the Railways.”
Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan from Kasaragod demands 10 Vande Bharat trains be allotted for the State of Kerala.
“You have said in the Budget that 400 Vande Bharat trains will be launched. I am only asking 10 trains for my State,” Mr. Unnithan says.
Discussion on demands for grants under the control of Ministry of Railways going on
Government is ready for discussion on the Ukraine issue, says MoS Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Mr. Meghwal said that the decision was taken by the Business Advisory Committee of the House. The Opposition had sought clarification on a statement made by Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar. - PTI
No decision on the preparation of a countrywide National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been taken, says Union Minister Nityanand Rai.
The Minister said on the direction of the Supreme Court, the supplementary list of inclusions and the list of exclusions for the NRC in Assam have been published on August 31, 2019.
Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru far above any martyr status: Ministry of Home Affairs
In a written response to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra said that the martyrdom of the freedom fighters is “not dependent on the presumed presence or absence of official records”.
Don’t privatise Railways, says Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N.K. Premachandran
The MP has emphasised that the Indian Railways serve the poorer sections of the society, and privatisation will increase fares, thus making it inaccessible for all. “The Railways sector is the heart and soul of India.”
“What is the point of converting ordinary trains into special ones and increasing fares with no additional benefits for the travellers?” asks Mr. Premachandran.
The Kollam MP has also urged the government to not sanction to the Silver Line project as it can be “disastrous to Kerala”.
Will you ensure that ticket fares do not rise after the privatisation of Railways, asks Congress MP Dr. Amar Singh.
The MP has also asked Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to include future plans for Railways in his reply. “Privatisation is not the best idea but the decision can only be taken by the party in power,” says Dr. Singh.
Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar briefs Lok Sabha on Indian rescue operations in Ukraine
Mr. Jaishankar briefs Lok Sabha about the advisories issued to Indian nationals in Ukraine in the days leading up to the war, and about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regular calls with Ukrainian and Russian Presidents to ensure safe evacuation of Indian students in Ukraine.
Some educational institutions in Ukraine “actively discouraged” students from leaving the country, the minister says.
India has also rescued citizens of other countries, including neighbours Bangladesh and Nepal. We also provided relief supplies to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian military operation in the country: Mr. Jaishankar
“India’s position in the UN on the situation in Ukraine has been steadfast and consistent,” says the Foreign Minister.
No cross-questions allowed on Mr. Jaishankar’s statement, rules Chairperson Rajendra Agrawal.
Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar has appreciated the courage of Indian students stranded in Ukraine. He has also expressed his gratitude towards ministries and NGOs that helped during the rescue operations.
Railways is directionless, says Trinamool Congress MP Aparupa Poddar.
In her address, Ms. Poddar has said that things have changed since Prime Minister Narendra Modi used to sell tea at a railway station platform. Using wordplay, the MP has added that people travelling in Railways in the present are not doing safar (Hindi for travel), they are “suffering”.
“This is not Modi government, this is Amazon government because they are selling all PSUs of the country,” says the MP.
Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party MP Midhun Reddy is chairing the proceedings.
Hindi names for central government schemes a blessing in disguise, says DMK MP Senthilkumar S.
"Please tell us the English name of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Since people don’t understand the true meaning, the credit does not go to you,” he said during Question Hour.
Replying to the MP, Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said that the scheme is not named after an individual, and if he can understand the meaning of the Indira Awas Yojana, then he can understand the meaning of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana too. - PTI
The value of the Railways Budget has been diluted, says Jaunpur MP Shyam Singh Yadav.
The fact that the Railways Budget has been made a part of the Union Budget is an indication of how much the sector has been diluted, says Mr. Yadav.
The Bahujan Samaj Party MP has said that Railways will not remain the preferred mode of travel for the poorer people of the society if the fares keep increasing amid the process of privatisation of the sector.
“No matter how much you praise yourselves, no one will forget how you stopped all trains during the 2020 lockdown and migrants across the country were forced to walk back to their homes,” says Mr. Yadav.
The MP has also invoked a statement by MP Manoj Tiwari where he claimed that his request was fulfilled through a WhatsApp message. “We have been running to your office for years but haven’t received similar treatment,” says the MP.
DMK MP Kanimozhi on disparity between North and South India in Railways
DMK MP Kanimozhi during the question hour stated there was a disparity in the quality of coaches in Northern and Southern India. She also said that people from Southern Indian do not get adequate jobs in the railways.
The minister put forth figures suggesting that budgetary allocation to North India was 101 times more than that of Southern India.
Separately, she also raised concerns on privatisation of Indian Railways. She sought clarification on why the Govt was opting to privatise the profitable air-conditioned operations and retaining the loss-making non-AC operations.
Formal high-level investigation to ascertain cause of missile incident: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the house that an official high-level investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause on the accidental firing of a missile on March 9. He informed that no damage had been caused by the accidental firing.
He said the incident was ‘unfortunate’, adding the investigation would also review standard operating procedures with respect to operations, maintenance,
The Defence Minister stated the country’s missile systems were safe and dependable. He added the armed forces are well-trained, disciplined and possess experience in operating the same.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla informed the House that Aam Admi Party member, Bhagwant Mann has resigned from the House.
Discussion on regulation of Television content
Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Dr. L Murugan stated the Ministry will not compromise on national security. He added that the I&B Ministry follows due process before initiating any action against a network. He suggested the Ministry depends on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs with regards to concerns on national security.
He was responding to questions raised by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.
On being asked about action taken by the ministry against TV broadcasters during the election phase, he stated that the ministry had taken action in 159 cases.
216 courses being taught from 600 centres under PM Daksh: MoS Social Justice and Empowerment
Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhoumik informed the house that 600 courses are being taught from 600 centres across the country under the PM Daksh Yojna. According to the Minister, in the year 2020-21, 32,097 people received training with 14,097 being placed.
The Ministry aspires to reach out to 2.71 lakh people between between calendar year 2021-22 and 2025-26.
PM Daksh is a National Action Plan for skilling of marginalised people covering SCs, OBCs, EBCs, DNTs and sanitation workers.
Proceedings begin at Lok Sabha
List of Business
1. Discussion and Voting on the Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministry of Railways for 2022-23.
2. Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh to make a statement regarding ‘Inadvertent firing of Missile’ on March 9, 2022.
3. Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar to make a statement regarding ‘the situation in Ukraine’.
4. Arjun Munda to move the The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
5. Papers and Reports to be laid on the Table
6. Question Hour
Day 1 recap
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented a ₹1.42-lakh-crore budget for Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2022-23, along with proposals for supplementary demands of grants to the Union Territory.
Ms. Sitharaman also moved a motion seeking to suspend certain rules to allow the House to take up discussion and debates on the issue on the same day. After Lok Sabha members debated the J&K budget in the second half of the session, Ms. Sitharaman responded to questions raised by them.
