The government and the Opposition are poised for clashes when Parliament convenes for the winter session on Wednesday, with the latter demanding debates on issues such as the India-China border situation, price rise and unemployment.
The demands were raised during an all-party meeting held on Tuesday, as is customary in the days leading to a Parliament session. For this session, the government has circulated a list of 16 bills and certain other pieces of legislation relating to scheduled tribes that will be brought to the House.
During the meeting, the Congress’s Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Chowdhury asked for a debate on the border issues and said: “The government did not properly inform the Opposition about the Indo-China standoff at the border”.
He said the party also wanted a debate on price rise, unemployment and the alleged misuse of investigative agencies.
The issue of unemployment and the alleged misuse of federal agencies were also raised by other opposition parties as well. Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyay raised it in the context of the Enforcement Directorate’s activities in West Bengal. The same issue was also flagged by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh.
Bandopadhyay also pointed out that the unemployment issue had not been discussed for a long time and this session must have a structured debate.
{{/usCountry}}Bandopadhyay also pointed out that the unemployment issue had not been discussed for a long time and this session must have a structured debate.
{{/usCountry}}Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Badal raised the problem of drug addiction in Punjab as an urgent issue for debate.
The results of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections will be declared on Thursday and is expected to influence events during the session. While a victory for the BJP in both states can further bolster the government’s authority in Parliament, the performance of the Congress in these polls will likely have an implication for how the opposition manages unity in the House.
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired the session meeting and emphasised on the smooth functioning of the House for constructive debates and pro-people outcomes. He said that all issues would be considered according to the rules of the House.
The last seven sessions of the Indian Parliament, starting with the 2020 budget session, could not complete their full schedule due to Covid-19, Opposition-sponsored disruptions and other factors.
A section of the Opposition has already raised questions about the schedule of this session too, arguing it doesn’t give enough time for lawmakers to go back to their constituencies to celebrate Christmas.
Joshi, however, pointed out that December 24 and 25 fall on a weekend.
Congress leader Chowdhury raised this issue during the meeting and said that attempts should be made to ensure that dates of the Winter Session do not clash with Christmas.
Among the bills that the Narendra Modi government plans to introduce are the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which aims to strengthen governance and bring more transparency in such bodies.
The government also has two bills to reform cantonment areas. The first, the Cantonment Bill, will ensure administration of cantonments “with a view to impart greater democratization, modernization and efficiency thereof, and to achieve greater developmental objectives in alignment with municipalities across the country”, said the Lok Sabha circular.
The other legislation, the Old Grant (Regulation) Bill, 2022, will ensure better management of the land given for defence estate before Independence. According to official data, there are about 49,000 such sites covering an area of about 7,500 acres.
The amendments to the Forest Conservation Act to promote plantation in non-forest areas and conserve forests, the National Dental Commission Bill, 2022 and the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2022 will also be introduced for creating better infrastructure and regulations in the sectors.
Leaders from more than 30 parties attended the meeting organised by the parliamentary affairs ministry. Rajya Sabha leader and commerce minister Piyush Goyal was also present in the meeting.