NEW DELHI: Parliament on Tuesday witnessed passing of several Bills as the Opposition members boycotted the proceedings in both the Houses.The Rajya Sabha, in a matter of three and half hours, passed seven key Bills, including one that removes cereals, pulses and onion from the essential commodities list and another that abolishes penalty for certain offences by companies.
Similarly, the Lower House recorded passing of at least four Bills, including the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 and the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill 2020. Most of the Opposition, including the Congress, Left, TMC, SP and NCP decided to boycott House proceedings in protest against the suspension of eight MPs.
Only members from the BJP, JD-U, AIADMK, BJD, YSRC and TDP, which have been extending support to the Modi government on various issues, participated in the debates. Moreover, in most of the Bills in both the Houses, the members participation was sparse, and the minister also replied for short durations.
The Upper House took up legislative business after nearly an hour of discussion over the conduct of Opposition MPs during the passage of two agriculture reform Bills on Sunday, with Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu saying the suspension could be revoked if the members expressed regret. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill was passed next. The Rajya Sabha also passed amendments to the Bank Regulation Act to bring cooperative banks under the supervision of the RBI to protect the interest of depositors.
Bills on labourers
In Lok Sabha, the important Bills related to the welfare of workers and labourers were passed in the absence of the Opposition MPs.