Budget session: All you need to know about the schedule, agenda, hurdles ahead

February 23, 2015

New Delhi, Delhi 23: The government, which is looking to pass key legislation, is set to face a stormy Budget session starting Monday despite its promise to walk the “extra mile” to accommodate the opposition’s concerns.

Budget sessionOn Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the Opposition of addressing all its concerns as his government sought support for the bills that will replace six ordinances, including the one that aims to overhaul the land law.

Parliament opens on Monday for what will be the first full budget session of the Modi government. The budget -- to be presented on February 28 -- will be closely watched for the economic path the government charts. The session will be a test of the NDA's floor management skills with a heavy legislative agenda lined up.

The session will begin with President Pranab Mukherjee's address to members of both Houses of Parliament that will indicate the government's agenda for the session.

"I can assure you that all the issues you have referred to will be discussed adequately and appropriately," the PM told an all-party meet Sunday evening.

Modi's reach-out mission started hours earlier when parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu drove to the 10 Janpath residence of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in the morning.

The Congress, however, remained non-committal, saying it couldn't back bills that were "anti-people".

"We have some concerns about the land law amendments," sources quoted Sonia as telling Naidu.

It was the first official engagement between the Modi government and the Congress president.

HT reported on February 20 that a senior Modi minister may meet Sonia to end the ordinance logjam, with the government planning to bring in the bills on Day 1 itself.

Farmers and social activists, led by Anna Hazare, are planning a sit-in against the land bill, which aims to make land acquisition easy for industry, to coincide with the opening day of the session.  

While another contentious legislation — the insurance bill — wasn't discussed, Sonia did tell Naidu that it would be "good" to have detailed discussion on other ordinances as well, sources said.

At the all-party meeting, Modi said it was the collective responsibility of leaders of all parties to ensure that the session ran smoothly.

"…Hope we can collectively work for the benefit of common man," he said.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who was also present during the Sonia-Naidu meeting, and party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, did not promise anything. The Congress parliamentary party had not met for the session, they said.

Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav said the land proposals were worse than what existed during the British time.

During the session, the focus should be on financial matters and "we must discuss the special category status for different states," Biju Janata Dal leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said.

The opposition leaders also demanded that the PM repeat on the floor of the House the remarks about the government's commitment to religious tolerance and freedom.

Agenda in Parliament

The government enjoys a brute majority in Lok Sabha but in Rajya Sabha it is outnumbered by the Opposition, whose support is critical for law-making.

Naidu, interestingly, said there was a broad consensus on "five out of six" ordinances, indicating the government's willingness to negotiate a dilution of its land ordinance.

HT wrote on Sunday that the government may water down some clauses of the land bill, dubbed anti-farmer by opposition and various social groups.

The government aims to get Parliament's nod for 44 bills during the session. The coal block auction, insurance and motor vehicles law amendment (e-rickshaw) bills will be tabled in Rajya Sabha. The land bill will come up first in Lok Sabha.

The Rail Budget will be presented February 26, Economic Survey February 27 and General Budget February 28.

An official release said the financial business (11 items) includes presentation of and discussion on General and Railway Budget, voting on demands for grants, supplementary demands for grants for 2014-15 and excess demands, if any, for 2013-14.

The legislative agenda comprises introduction, consideration and passing of seven new bills by both the houses including the finance bill, 2015, and bills replacing the six ordinances.

While 10 new bills are slated to be introduced, the government's agenda includes passing of 3 bills pending in Lok Sabha and 7 in Rajya Sabha.

Those pending in the Lok Sabha are: The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 relating to introduction of GST, The Lok Pal and Lok Ayuktas and other Related Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014 and The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014. After being passed by Lok Sabha, these bills will be taken up by Rajya Sabha.

Bills pending in Rajya Sabha include 4 bills already passed by Lok Sabha - The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014, The Public Premises Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2014, The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014, The Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014, and the Payments and Settlement Systems(Amendment) Bill, 2014.

Other pending bills are: The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and The Constitution (Scheduled Casts) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2014.

The new bills pertain to on the National Cooperative Development Corporation, the Warehousing Corporation, Andhra Pradesh reorganisation, arbitration and conciliation, repeal of appropriation acts, registration of births and deaths, whistle blowers protection, Indian Institutes of Management, National Academic Depository and Identification of Scheduled Castes.

The non-legislative business for the session includes discussion on the motion of thanks to the President's address.

There will be 20 working days during the first half of Budget session and 13 in the second half.

During the intervening recess, standing committees will take up detailed examination of the demands for grants of different ministries.

 

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News Network
July 5,2020

Ahmedabad, Jul 5: A woman police sub-inspector (PSI) with Ahmedabad Police was arrested and sent to three-day police remand, on Saturday, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from an Ahmedabad-based businessman — accused in two rape cases — in exchange for not applying a stringent act against him.

According to police officials, Shweta Jadeja, PSI and incharge of Mahila police station (West) in the city, was arrested by a team of Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) officials in Ahmedabad on Friday after the complainant in the case, the rape accused, approached the Crime Branch and stated that Jadeja had allegedly demanded Rs 35 lakh form him, in exchange for not booking him under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities (PASA) Act.

The PASA Act in Gujarat gives power to the police to detain an accused and send them to a prison away from their native district. The complainant claimed that he already paid Rs 20 lakh of the total amount to Jadeja on February 3.

On Saturday, a sessions court awarded Jadeja a three-day remand with the Crime Branch, which will end at 11:30 am on July 7. Following this, the PSI will undergo a medical check-up and be presented before the magistrate again.

“We had originally demanded a seven-day remand. The accused officer has been sent to three-day remand for further investigation in the case,” said a senior police official in Ahmedabad.

According to police, complainant Kenal Shah — managing director of GSP Crop Science Private Limited, a crop solution-based company in Ahmedabad — is allegedly facing two separate rape cases under IPC section 376.

PSI Jadeja was first entrusted with the investigation of a rape case against Shah in January this year, lodged at Mahila police station (West).

The rape case complaint is of 2019. Another rape case against Shah was being probed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crimes Against Women), Mini Josef, wherein the investigation was reportedly completed.

As per the remand application report filed by the police, Jadeja had allegedly threatened Shah through his brother Bhavesh Shah — a joint managing director at GSP Crop Science Private Limited — and initially demanded Rs 25 lakh for not applying the PASA Act against the accused. The bribe amount was then settled at Rs 20 lakh and in February, the accused allegedly paid the amount via an office accountant to one Jayubha, allegedly a representative of Jadeja, from a finance office in Jamjodhpur area of Ahmedabad.

The report further stated that after the initial amount was paid, a third complaint was allegedly made against Kenal by a security officer at his office, Yograjsinh, for criminal intimidation. After the third complaint, PSI Jadeja had contacted Bhavesh again and demanded an additional sum of Rs 15 lakh for not applying the PASA Act against Kenal. The complaint from the security officer was not converted into an FIR and Shah has not been jailed yet.

However, It was after the demand of Rs 15 lakh that complainant Kenal approached the Crime Branch on June 27. An FIR was lodged against Jadeja at Ahmedabad DCB police station under sections seven and twelve of the Prevention of Corruption Act, charging her for “public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act”.

“Now that we have received the remand of the accused officer from the court, we will try to trace and recover the alleged Rs 20 lakh amount she received in this case,” said Deepan Bhadran, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad.

Shweta Jadeja is a PSI of the 2016-’17 batch and a resident of Vastrapur in Ahmedabad, while her native place is in Keshod of Junagadh district. The police have not recovered the bribe amount she allegedly accepted as of late Saturday.

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News Network
February 9,2020

Srinagar, Feb 9: Authorities on Sunday snapped mobile internet services in Kashmir as a precautionary measure to prevent any law and order disturbance on the seventh death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, officials said.

The mobile internet services were suspended early in the morning as the authorities apprehended violence in the valley in view of the bandh call given by separatist outfits, the officials said.

The authorities had restored 2G internet services in Kashmir on January 25, more than five months after snapping all communication facilities in the valley following abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year.

Police on Saturday lodged an FIR against the banned Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) for calling a strike on Afzal Guru's death anniversary.

Guru was hanged in 2013 inside Tihar jail for his role in the Parliament attack in December 2001.

Two journalists were summoned by police for reporting the JKLF press release, which had called for strike on Sunday and Tuesday -- the death anniversary of the outfit founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat.

They were let off after five hours of questioning. Bhat was hanged in 1984 and is buried inside Tihar jail.

Meanwhile, normal life in Kashmir was affected due to the strike, the officials said.

Markets and business establishments remained closed, while public transport was largely off the roads, they said.

There have been no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere in the valley so far, the officials added.

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Agencies
January 16,2020

New Delhi, Jan 16: United Forum of Bank Unions has decided to observe a two-day strike on January 31 and February 1, demanding early wage revision settlement which has been due since November 1, 2017, said the All India Bank Employees Association.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union Budget on February 1.

Banks will also hold a strike on March 11, 12 and 13. Also, an indefinite strike will be held from April 1.

General Secretary, All India Bank Officers' Confederation West Bengal Sanjay Das has stated that the nationwide strike has been called over several demands.

"The demands include--wage revision settlement at 20 per cent hike on payslip components with adequate loading thereof and scrapping off New Pension Scheme (NPS)," said Das.

There are several demands to hold the strike including the merger of special allowance with basic pay, updation of pension, improvement in the family pension system, five-day banking, allocation of staff welfare fund based on operating profits and exemption from income tax on retiral benefits without a ceiling.

"Other demands include-- a uniform definition of business hours, lunch hour etc in the branches, introduction of leave bank, defined working hours for the officers and equal wage for equal work for the contract employee," said Das.

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