NEW DELHI: With repeated adjournments in Parliament since the start of the monsoon session, the Centre is expected to push for legislative business this week while the Opposition is looking to demand a discussion on the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme after the discussion on price rise.
The government has agreed to discuss the price rise this week in both the Houses of Parliament.
The Opposition has been demanding a discussion on the issue since the start of the monsoon session on July 18. Lok Sabha is expected to take up the discussion on Monday while the Rajya Sabha could take it up on Tuesday.
Lok Sabha functioned for about a quarter of its scheduled time and Rajya Sabha for about 20 per cent in the first two weeks of 2022 due to repeated disruptions.
With just two weeks left, the government wants to push the legislative business as over 30 bills have been listed for passing in the monsoon session. The session ends on Aug 12.
“We want discussion and let both the Houses discuss price rise and levying of GST on essential items,” said Congress Rajya Sabha MP K C Venugopal. The Opposition also wants discussion on the new defence recruitment scheme and some parties have already given notices for suspension of business to take up the issue. With barely 10 days left, the demand for discussion is unlikely to be accepted, said sources.
However, some MPs feel that things could remain confrontational between the Opposition and treasury benches this week.
“Opposition parties want Parliament to run and hold this government accountable. Prediction: Government will disrupt from next week,” tweeted TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien.
The BJP MPs have been demanding Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s apology over party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s comments on President Droupadi Murmu.
With barely 10 working days remaining before the Monsoon Session gets over on August 12, it is unlikely the parties would be abe to extract a debate on the new armed forces recruitment scheme in either House.
"We will definitely raise the issue in Parliament, however, there is very little time to force a discussion on it as the session is ending on August 12 and in between there is a weekend, the vice presidential election as well as the farewell for (outgoing vice president) Venkaiah Naidu," said an opposition leader.
Also, some leaders said the parties have also different stands on the issue with those based in northern region demanding a complete withdrawal of the scheme, while some like the TMC asking that state governments be freed of the liability to provide jobs for the Agniveers.
Congress leaders such as Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana Deepender Singh Hooda has demanded a complete rollback.
Sources said the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party and the Congress have already filed notices demanding a discussion on Agnipath in both Houses.
Three notices are likely to be filed on Monday.
Opposition leaders have indicated the government has conveyed to them informally they have no plans of accommodating their request on Agnipath as the matter is sub-judice.
The government has also listed two bills -- The Central Universities(Amendment) Bill, 2022 to be introduced and the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 to be passed in the Lok Sabha.
In the Rajya Sabha too two Bills will come up for consideration and passing on Monday -- the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005; and a Bill to provide for the national measures for protecting the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems and to give effect to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
Both these Bills have been passed by the Lok Sabha.
(With PTI Inputs)
Constant demand
The Opposition has been demanding a discussion on the issue since the start of the monsoon session on July 18.