Monsoon session of Parliament: The monsoon session is scheduled to end on October 1. (Folder)
The Rajya Sabha is set for a potentially explosive showdown on the farm bills on Sunday, as the Congress-led opposition tries to pull together the numbers to bring down the three laws. The ruling BJP, with the backing of its NDA allies and a few “friendly” parties, should have the edge if the bills go to a vote.
The banknotes crossed Lok Sabha despite a revolt by longtime ally Akali Dal. The Akalis, for whom farmers are a central constituency, have withdrawn Harsimrat Badal Kaur – their only representative in the Union cabinet – to protest ‘anti-farmer’ bills and are reviewing links with the NDA led by the BJP. There have been widespread protests, especially in Punjab and Haryana, despite assurances from Prime Minister Modi to farmers.
Here are the updates from the monsoon session of Parliament 2020:
The Haryana wing of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) peasant organization said it would block all major state highways for three hours – 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. – tomorrow as part of its protest against the refusal of the central government to withdraw contentious bills from the agricultural sector, which the BJP says will open up the agricultural market and benefit small and marginal farmers. Read here
Haryana: Police deployment at the Sadopur border in Ambala, in view of the farmers’ protest against #AgricultureBills
Ambala SP Abhiskeh Jorwal said: “The barricades in place here as the Bharatiya Kisan Union called for protest. We have enough forces present here.” pic.twitter.com/a4LfTbRWIJ
– ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2020
Delhi: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Laïc HD leader Deve Gowda are sworn in as Rajya Sabha member pic.twitter.com/54BWzlgYrc
– ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2020
LOK SABHA
Bills to present
The amendment on the foreign contribution (regulation)
Bill, 2020.
Bills for consideration and adoption
The National University of Forensic Sciences Bill, 2020
The Rashtriya Raksha University Bill, 2020
The bill on bilateral clearing of qualified financial contracts,
2020.
The Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
RAJYA SABHA
Bills for consideration and adoption
Farmers ” Produce trade and commerce (promotion
and Facilitation), 2020
The Farmers’ Accord (empowerment and protection)
on Price Guarantee and the Agricultural Services Bill, 2020.
The draft law (amendment) on essential products,
2020.
Indian Institutes of Information Technology Law
(Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The bill on banking regulations (amendment),
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Saroj Pandey gave Rajya Sabha zero hours’ notice regarding the request to implement Ayushman Bharat Yojna in Chhattisgarh state.
Lok Sabha’s current monsoon session will be cut short by several days, the government decided on Saturday after consulting the opposition at the Business Advisory Committee meeting. The Center is concerned for the safety of MPs after three of them – who attended the session – tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week, days after their mandatory test reports turned out negative. Read here
Congressman Ripun Bora gave Rajya Sabha zero hours’ notice on “the request to change the terms of the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package announced to tackle economic loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Vivek Thakur gave Rajya Sabha zero hours’ notice on “the need for clarity on uniform implementation of the proposed COVID-19 vaccine in all states.”
Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will present the Farmers and Trade Products (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020 and Farmers’ Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on the price insurance and agricultural services, 2020, in Rajya Sabha today.
