Monsoon Session: After 4 days of ruckus and debate, Parliament to focus on transacting business today

The Lok Sabha on Friday has a packed agenda following the near-washout sittings on Tuesday and Thursday, owing to the Opposition’s protests. The first day of Monsoon Session, too, was adjourned without transacting any business due to the presidential elections, which were held on 17 July, the same day. The Lower House lists 62 entries on its agenda for the day, including around 45 bills for introduction and 10 bills for further consideration and passing. [caption id=“attachment_3832849” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Important bills to be introduced include, The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017. Besides the Opposition will raise key issues like enforcement of Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, action being taken against shell companies, implementation of GST and government’s efforts to bring back money stashed abroad in the Question Hour. In Rajya Sabha, The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will be taken up for passing and consideration. The Upper House, on Thursday, saw a heated debate on the  on cow vigilantism and atrocities on Dalits, with the opposition trying to corner the government and a minister raking up the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the 2002 Godhra incident. As the Opposition accused the government of creating an atmosphere of fear in the country, the government in its reply said there was nothing anti-Muslim or anti-Dalit about the incidents, but cow vigilantism should not be “eulogised”. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned without transacting any business on Thursaday after Opposition repeatedly disrupted the proceedings by raising slogans on the plight of farmers and related issues. When Lok Sabha assembled for the day and took up the Question Hour, opposition members, mostly from the Congress, trooped into the Well raising slogans saying the prime minister should respond to the concerns over farmers’ plight and the agrarian crisis. Sensing the opposition mood and as it became difficult to continue the business of the House amidst the noisy scenes, the Speaker called for the listed papers to be tabled and then adjourned the House for the day. With inputs from agencies