The second part of the Parliament’s budget session begins on Monday with the Opposition set to corner the government on a range of issues, including rising unemployment, a reduction in the interest rate on employees’ provident funds and the evacuation of Indians stranded in war-hit Ukraine.
Top on the government’s agenda would be getting Parliament’s approval to the budgetary proposals and presentation of the budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in today’s session presented a Rs 1.42-lakh-crore budget for Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2022-23, amid opposition accusations that the government was rushing the proposals through Parliament. She also moved a motion seeking to suspend certain rules to allow the House to take up the discussion and debates on the issue on the same day. Subsequently, in the second half of today’s session, Ms. Sitharaman replied to the questions raised by Lok Sabha Members who debated the J&K budget.
The first part of the budget session had begun on January 29 with President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in the Central Hall of Parliament, which was followed by the presentation of the Economic Survey.
Ms. Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on February 1, which was followed by discussions on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address and the Union Budget.
Here are the latest updates:
LS session adjourned for the day
Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha adjourns the session till 11 am on March 15, after taking a vote on the supplementary demands for grants to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the financial year 2022-23.
Make ‘The Kashmir Files’ tax-free
Lok Sabha BJP member Jamyang Tsering Namgyal said during the debate on the Jammu and Kashmir budget, that the recently-released movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ should be exempted from entertainment tax as it exposes the “bitter truth”. Meanwhile, the Bahujan Samaj Party said the movie should be banned, arguing that such films create feelings of hatred among various communities.
The film, directed by Vivek Agnihotri is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990.
Besides, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that his fellow ministers and legislators of the ruling coalition in Assam, will watch the recently-released film ‘The Kashmir Files’ on Tuesday evening.
Tourism has improved in the valley
Answering calls by House members to increase tourism in the union territory of J&K, Ms. Sitharaman says the highest ever of tourist foot of 50,33,953 or over 50 lakh was recording in J&K in October 2021 and January 2022. She added that in December 2021 alone, just in the valley (excluding Jammu), saw a tourist footfall 1. 43 lakh, which she said was the highest in seven years.
“That wouldn’t have been possible if the environment was not conducive,” the Finance Minister added.
Unemployment rate in J&K has come down
Answering questions raised by MPs of the situation of employment in J&K, FM Sitharaman says, “As per CMIE, which monitors the Indian Economy, the unemployment rate has come down.,” adding that in 2016 it was 20% and by late February this year it was 13.2%.
Discriminatory laws were removed from J&K
With the removal of Article 370, discriminatory laws were removed from the erstwhile state of J&K, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman.
“This country cannot have two symbols, two Prime Ministers and Constitutions, when we have a Constitution which we respect...and every time we know the kind of people who have given that Constitution to us and we all respectfully raise the name of Dr. Ambedkar,” she said.
Nirmala Sitharaman replies on debate on Jammu and Kashmir Budget
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addresses the house after 22 Lok Sabha MPs debated the J&K budget.
Ms. Sitharaman earlier in today’s session presented a Rs 1.42-lakh-crore budget for Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2022-23, amid opposition accusations that the government was rushing the proposals through Parliament. She also moved a motion seeking to suspend certain rules to allow the House to take up the discussion and debates on the issue on the same day.
In response MPs raising questions aside from the budget, mainly question about the scrapping of Article 370 in J&K, the Finance Minister said, “After the abrogation of Article 370, 890 central laws have now become applicable to J&K....what was denied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for 70 years” she said, can now be served to them by way of removal of the special status.
Asaduddin Owaisi questions the government’s economic policy for Jammu and Kashmir
“Why is the government promoting privatisation in the rest of the country and has, at the same time, made horticulture a public sector undertaking in Kashmir?” asks Owaisi.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP has questioned why there are no popular discussions about non-Kashmiri Pandit Hindus who have lost their lives at the hands of militants in the Valley.
Agreeing with the stand taken by other Opposition MPs as well, Owaisi has registered his protest against the discussion of the Jammu and Kashmir Budget in the Parliament.
He has also raised concerns about the changes in the Union Territories post the abrogation of the contentious Article. He questioned the government on employment, civilian casualties, and industrial development in Jammu and Kashmir, and also raised the issue of the arrest of Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah.
E. T. Mohammed Basheer says there is no difference in the lives of people of Jammu and Kashmir before and after the abrogation of Article 370.
Mr. Basheer, Indian Union Muslim League MP from Ponnani in Kerala, also raised the issue of frequent and lengthy internet and communication shutdowns, and the indiscriminate arrests of journalists in the Valley.
Punjab CM-designate Bhagwant Mann resigns from Lok Sabha.
Mr. Mann has tendered his resignation from the post of MP to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. He represented Punjab’s Sangrur constituency. - ANI
His oath-taking ceremony will be held on March 14 at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, in Nawanshahr district. - PTI
Government says will look into measures to help Indian students evacuated from Ukraine complete their education.
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan said in the Parliament that the government will “will ponder over making arrangements to enable them to become doctors in future”.
Lok Sabha live feed has been interrupted.
Live updates from Lok Sabha have been interrupted due to technical reasons. We will be back soon.
“Will Congress commit to bringing back Article 370 if they return to power,” asks MP Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Dr. Singh is the BJP MP from Udhampur constituency in Jammu and Kashmir and also the Minister of State for Prime Minister’s office.
Jugal Kishor Sharma defends BJP’s actions regarding special status of Jammu and Kashmir
Mr. Sharma praises Prime Minister Narendra Modi for scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution and says that development in the Union Territory has increased manifolds since August 2019. He has also complimented Mr. Modi for his handling of the Covid-19 crisis in Jammu and the rest of India.
The BJP member is responding to Congress MP Manish Tewari’s allegations that the indutrial development recorded in Jammu and Kashmir since Article 370 was scrapped has been negligible.
N.K. Premachandran is now chairing the discussion in the Lower House.
Congress MP Manish Tewari questions the discussion
Mr. Tewari, the MP from Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, questions why the Budget of Jammu and Kashmir is being discussed in the Parliament when similar discussions were not adopted for other Union Territories.
Opposition MPs have claimed that they have not been given enough time to go through the Budget documents in order to constructively contribute to the discussion.
Lok Sabha resumes discussion
The Lower House of the Parliament is discussing the supplementary demands for grants for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the financial year 2021-22. Bhartruhari Mahtab is chairing the discussion.
Lok Sabha adjourns till 2pm
Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm after the Zero Hour.
During the Zero Hour, members raised questions about several issues such as the education of students who returned from Ukraine.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents budget for Jammu & Kashmir
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget for the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir along with the supplementary demands for grants, demands for grants and demands for excess grants.
The budget was presented amid opposition some members, including Congress MP Manish Tewari, who demanded for more time to discuss the budget.
DMK’s T.R. Baalu asks Centre’s plan for medical students evacuated from Ukraine
DMK’s T.R. Baalu asked if the Indian students who were evacuated from war-hit Ukraine could continue their studies in Russia.
“Whether the students hailing from India who has gone for further studies to Ukraine could be taken to Russia using Modi’s clout with Russian government. Is it possible to have them admitted in Russian universities and continue their studies ?” he asked.
Speaker Om Birla said that the matter was about medical education and would come under the ministry of health.
Shashi Tharoor urges govt to help Indians working in tourism industry affected by Covid
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that the government should pay attention to the well being of the people in India who run services that the tourists use.
He also said that neither the Kerala state government or the central government helped the Contract Carriages Association in the state who run tourists buses. He said that the body has been repeatedly asking to reduce their taxes but it was not reduced due to which he claimed that they were selling their tourist buses below price.
In response, Union tourism minister said that the matter was a subject of states and said that the Centre had extended its cooperation wherever possible.
Opposition questions govt on data about child labour
Several opposition MPs questioned the Union government regarding data about child labour in the country. Congress’ Manickam Tagore said that it was “unfortunate” the government has no data about child labour. He also said that the government has not released funds for the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), especially for the state of Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said that “One in 10 children now in child labour in India and it is rising for the first time in 20 years. Nine million more children are at risk of being pushed into child labour by the end of 2022 as a result of the pandemic. The closure of 1.5 million schools due to the pandemic and lockdowns in India has impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools and added to the risk of them slipping into child labour.”
List of business in Lok Sabha
- Obit references
- Question Hour
- Papers to be laid on the table
- Report of Business Advisory Committee
- Reports on Standing Committee on Railways, Social Justice and Empowerment, Home Affairs, Transport, Tourism and Culture
- Motion for Election of two members to the court of University of Delhi
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to present the budget for Jammu and Kashmir
- Demands for Grants
- Arjun Munda to move The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2022
