Why is there a crisis in the functioning of Parliament?
Political activity in India has increased following the US court’s decision on industrialist Gautam Adani. On Thursday, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded formation of a joint parliamentary committee on the entire issue. Rahul made this demand just before the Parliament session.
This time the winter session of Parliament is proposed from November 25 to December 20. The way the Adani issue has gained momentum before the session begins. They tell him that there may be a lot of fuss about this in the Parliament session.
AAP-TMC also met Congress
Along with the Congress, many other opposition parties seem united on this issue. Replying to a question, Rahul Gandhi said that the Indian alliance will soon come together on this issue as well. Last time, when the issue related to Adani was raised in Parliament, most of the opposition parties went to the Congress.
So far, Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra and AAP’s Sanjay Singh have raised questions on this issue. Both have demanded that the matter be investigated. The CPM has also demanded a CBI probe.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also called it a long battle. In February 2023, Lok Sabha could not function for 3 days due to the Adani issue. However, despite the uproar, the government did not accept the JPC’s demand at that time.
Discussion on these proposed bills in Parliament
The central government has notified Parliament of the inclusion of the bill. According to the parliamentary gazette, a total of 15 bills are proposed to be introduced in the Lok Sabha and 18 bills in the Rajya Sabha this time.
Prominent among them are the Coastal Bill, 2024, the Indian Ports Bill, 2024, the Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill. of 2024. All of these bills are new and will be presented to Parliament for the first time.
The government is making great efforts to promote water trade through the Coastal and Port Law.
Keep an eye on Waqf and One Nation One Election Bill
Apart from these bills, the government may also introduce the Waqf Amendment Bill and the One Nation, One Election Bill in this session. The final decision on the Waqf Bill will be taken after the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee. Recently, big BJP leaders have indicated this.
The Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced in the last session, but following objection from the TDP and JDU, the government withdrew it. The debate on the Waqf Bill in the Joint Parliamentary Committee has also been in the news.
The government may also pass the One Nation, One Election bill this session. The committee headed by former president Ramnath Kovind submitted its report to the government a few months ago. However, many opposition parties oppose this bill.
2.5 lakh spent on one-minute procedures
Former Lok Sabha Speaker PDT Achari recently spoke about the estimated expenses of Parliament work in a report in the English newspaper Financial Express. According to Achari, Rs 2.5 lakh is spent on one minute of debate in Parliament.
This expense also includes the security of Parliament and the salaries and allowances of deputies. This money belongs to the taxpayers and the Department of Parliamentary Affairs receives it for its operations.
