NEW DELHI: The Opposition on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament, protested that the Centre is trying to strangulate democracy by suspending the Question Hour. However, Defence minister Rajnath Singh said that all parties who were protesting had agreed to it when he had sought their approval.
The Opposition looked upset over the fact that only written questions and answers will be allowed instead of the Question Hour.However, Rajnath Singh made it clear that the government had requested the suspension because of lack of time. “I want to make a polite request and need the cooperation of the members,” Singh said in Parliament.
He said he had spoken to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury regarding this and he had agreed to it.
Terming the Question Hour as the ‘golden hour’, Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the reasons cited by the minister to cancel it did not seem convincing. He said it is regarded as the essence and soul of parliamentary democracy. “We get chance to raise issues of common people. Question Hour is simply a golden hour of the House,” the Congress leaser said.
Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion seeking suspension of the Question Hour and Private Members Bills. The motion was opposed by the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the AIMIM.
While Congress leader Manish Tewari referred to the Rule Book and said it can only be suspended only if the decision is unanimous, which isn’t the case currently, TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee said the move will take away the glamour of Parliament.
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also urged the Speaker not to allow the executive to encroach the powers of the legislature and termed the Question Hour as the cornerstone of democracy.
‘Lockdown prevented 37-78K deaths’
The Centre has so far procured and supplied over 1 lakh oxygen cylinders for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Parliament on Monday as acute shortage of this life saving medical supply is being reported from several states.
The total number of oxygen cylinders supplied by the Union government stands at 1,02,400.Vardhan, while making a suo-motto statement on the Centre’s response also said that in India, while nearly 92% of the cases are reported to be mild, about 5.8 % cases need oxygen therapy and the disease may be severe enough to require intensive care in about 1.7 % cases.
‘Roy should apologise for remarks on FM’
Personal comments aimed at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman from Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy in Lok Sabha on Monday drew a sharp reaction from the treasury benches with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi demanding his unconditional apology. Roy’s comments were expunged by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The TMC MP was objecting to the Banking Regulation (Amendment ) Bill when he made the remarks targeting Sitharaman. Attacking Roy, Joshi said, “We can also do it. But this is not our culture. He is a senior member. What is he talking? He should apologise unconditionally.”
‘Tourism sector has suffered huge loss in revenue’
The Ministry of Tourism informed Parliament while no formal study has been conducted to assess the impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector, discussions with stakeholders have indicated that the sector has suffered a massive loss in revenue.
In a written reply in LS, Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel said due to the fact that the sector is largely unorganised, the impact can be assessed only in due course. “No formal study has been instituted for assessment of the impact on the tourism sector and job losses. However, several rounds of discussions and brainstorming sessions with industry stakeholders indicate massive loss of revenue.
‘Artists affected adversely due to financial crunch’
Union Minister of Culture Prahlad Singh Patel said in response to a Parliament question said that the entire artist community faced financial crisis and also lost their means of livelihood, the response said. However, the ministry has not assessed the impact of the pandemic on the entertainment industry and artists across India. “... the Ministry is aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the artist community as no physical cultural programmes are being organised by the Ministry of Culture due to social distancing norms and safety guidelines issued by the Government of India,” the response said.