Parliament Updates: Build dams on rivers in Nashik district to boost agriculture in north Maharashtra, BJP's Subhash Bhamre urges govt

BJP’s Raju Bista is the last one to address the House

Requesting Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to focus on West Bengal, since the state government there is busy in the cut money row. He also urged the Centre to pay attention to the water crisis in his constituency, the plight of tea plantation workers in Darjeeling, who are still not being paid as per minimum wages, and the security along border areas in Siliguri.

Build dams on rivers in Nashik district to boost agriculture in north Maharashtra, Subhash Bhamre urges govt

BJP’s Subhash Bhamre urges government to use water in four rivers in the Nashik district in north Maharashtra for agricultural purposes, given the drought the region has seen and water crisis being witnessed. He also suggested the building of dams on these rivers to divert waters to tehsils in need, apart from river-linking projects.

BJP’s Sushil Kumar Singh demands maximum fund allocation to river-linking projects

Pointing out the water crisis in the country, BJP’s Sushil Kumar Singh said that the Centre should make the maximum funds possible available for the river-linking project that was started during the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He also suggested development of roads in Naxal-impacted areas.

Gaurav Gogoi demands special package for tea plantation industry

Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi says that BJP MPs only say sweet things about Budget, which “could lead to diabetes”, but the Opposition will say bitter things, which “like Neem will be good for health”. He placed a demand for a special package for the tea plantation industry.

Gaurav Gogoi questions disparity in GDP numbers

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questioned the disparity in GDP numbers and said, “It seems that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.”

Centre has ensured dignity for all, says Aonla MP

Aonla MP Dharmendra Kashyap said, “Along with basic necessities like roti, kapda and makaan, this government has attempted to ensure dignity for every person — whether through gas connections or through toilets.”

‘Am sure govt will ensure water supply,’ says Mukesh Rajput

BJP MP from Farrukhabad Mukesh Rajput drew attention to water crisis. “People travel for long distances in order to secure. But, now, I am sure that the government will ensure water supply to every home.”

BSP’s Sangeeta Azad said that her constituency’s development has been ignored in the budget

BSP MP Sangeeta Azad from Lalganj said the budget ignores SCs, STs and OBCs. She said the budget has ignored her constituency and has not talked about opening of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Kendriya Bhandar or sugar mills in the area. She ended her speech by urging the Centre to look into the development of Lalganj.

Budget has not addressed issues of agrarian crisis, unemployment, says YSRCP’s Kuruva Gorantala Madhav

YSRCP’s Kuruva Gorantala Madhav said the Budget has disappointed minority, youth, women and differently abled. He said the problems of agrarian crisis and unemployment have not been addressed either.

“Andhra Pradesh, which needs support from the Centre, has been neglected. Andhra Pradesh’s only agenda is special category status and that has been conveyed through the Lok Sabha election results this year,” he said.

Urge government to look at better connectivity of north-east with the rest of India, says NPP’s Agatha Sangma

Appreciating that the Budget focusses on sustainability, NPP’s Agatha Sangma highlighted various schemes of the government which focus on e-vehicles, water conservation, energy efficiency and improving the quality of life.

Sangma took up the issue of reduction in allocation for NEC in the Budget and the reduction in central pool of resources for north east and Sikkim. “I urge the government to increase funds for development of the north east and improve connectivity, both through air and road,” she concluded.

Locket Chatterjee blames TMC government for blocking govt’s schemes in West Bengal

BJP’s Locket Chatterjee praises Budget for introducing measures in support of women and to fight corruption and black money. She also listed schemes relating to farmers, health and housing and how the state government in West Bengal is proving to be a roadblock in the implementation of these projects.

BJP’s Nihal Chand Chauhan talks about the issue of water-sharing with Punjab

Apart from raising the issue of water-sharing with Punjab, BJP’s Nihal Chand Chauhan said that polluted water from sugar mills in Punjab flows into Rajasthan and 20 percent people in his constituency Ganganagar in Rajasthan are impacted by it. We urge the government to pay attention to this issue and shut the mill that has been fined for this. The polluted water that these mills release are drinking water for people in Rajasthan’s villages,’ he said.

He also said that the lands of many people are across the border in Pakistan now and they cannot cultivate it. He urged the government to look into compensating the owners of such land.

Congress’s MK Raghavan calls the Budget against farmers, labour, poor and youth

“The Budget is anti-farmer, anti-labour, anti-poor and anti-youth,” Congress’ MK Raghavan said. He said that NDA’s 2014 Achche Din slogan has not materialised even now. “Government said unemployment is at 45-year high and they had promised two crore jobs every year in 2014. Medium and small farmers started suffering with the advent of demonetisation,” he said.

Raghavan said that schemes ensuring access to fertilisers, irrigation facilities to farmers have not been provided in the Budget. He also blamed the government of having a step-motherly attitude towards South India, especially Kerala, which is evident with there still being no AIIMS in the state.

Budget has no scheme to benefit farmers except ensuring MSP, says YSRCP’s Talari Rangaiah

YSRCP MP Talari Rangaiah appreciated pro-women measures in the Union Budget, including an increase in Nirbhaya Fund and working women’s hostels. However, he criticised the Budget for not factoring in the needs of farmers, by only ensuring MSP. He also talked about the lack of sufficient funding allocated to irrigation projects.

RLP’s Hanuman Beniwal rises to speak

Beniwal jokes that with NK Premachandran in the Speaker’s chair, he thinks everyone will get some extra minutes to speak.

Anupriya Patel questions reduction in fund allocation to Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, MGNREGA

Voicing her support for the Budget, Apna Dal’s Anupriya Patel said the government has focussed on women, poor and youth. She urged Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to come up with a scheme that looks after the bataai kissan or sharecroppers. She also asked about the measures planned to conduct agricultural research.

Focussing on the water crisis and the agricultural need of water supply, she said the government has to ensure that farmers begin sowing crops that are not water-intensive.

She concluded her speech with three questions: Why has the fund allocation under MGNREGA reduced? Why has Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan funding been cut? What is the roadmap towards the $5 trillion dollar economy target?

Congress MP for Odisha demands a special package for Odisha

congress’ Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka  demands a special package for Odisha, since the state faces a environmental hazards.

Every ministry’s budget has been increased except that of Minority Affairs, says Asaduddin Owaisi

AIMIM’s asaduddin Owaisi raises questions on the Haj subsidy cuts, education schemes for minorities. “Finance ministry has not given figures on how many minorities have been given jobs,” he said.

He criticised reduction in funding for Chabahar port’s development, increased taxes on newspapers and books, lack of schemes for betterment of manual scavengers, reduced scholarship schemes for Dalits. “Every ministry’s budget increased except for Minority Affairs’,” he said.

He said that powerlooms are dying and the government has imposed anti-dumping duty on them. He also demanded that the Polavaram project should get national status.

RSP’s NK Premachandran highlights the discrepancies in the figures in Budget

RSP leader from Kerala NK Premachandram calls the Budget opaque and says that macroeconomic terms, like the GDP, fiscal deficit and revenue deficit, which people should know have not been mentioned in the Budget. “Budget is only a policy statement. While you are extending the corporate taxes, what is the revenue loss? What is the revenue rise due to increase in price rise of fuel? Government wants to conceal many things from people and that is why it is not being said in speeches but being mentioned in annexe documents to the speech,” he says.

He states discrepancies in numbers and figures in the Budget in comparison to the Economic Survey.

Typical of Modi government to only sell dreams, says CPM’s AM Ariff

Calling the Union Budget an eyewash, CPM’s AM Ariff said that it is typical of the Narendra Modi government to only sell dreams to the poor. “There are no clear geographical locations of projects in the Budget. Be it the Sagar Mala or Bharat Mala project, they do not have any route maps. When and where will these projects be implemented?” he asked.

BJD’s Anubhav Mohanty says Budget ignored Odisha’s demand for additional funds to deal with natural calamities

While welcoming the Union budget, BJD’s Anubhav Mohanty that many of Odisha’s long-standing demands have been ignored. “We demanded more funds for Odisha since we are prone to natural calamities. While allocation for railway projects may have come, the progress on these projects is lacking,” he said.

He also talked of ‘unfair’ taxes imposed on the newspaper industry. “The government should come up with special packages for print media. The country may be heading towards digitalisation, but every household wakes up and reads the newspaper,” Mohanty said.

BSP’s Girish Chandra criticises the Budget’s ignorance of the SCs and STs

Girish Chandra of BSP says the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constitute 25% of the Indian population but the budget doesn’t reflect anything for the upliftment of these people.

Union Budget is like the prospectus of private company, says Congress’ Jayakumar K

Jayakumar K of the Congress says the current Budget is like the prospectus of a private company and has no proper road map to solve unemployment. “Moreover, in 2014, the BJP government said if elected to power they will return black money from foreign banks and will deposit Rs 15 lakh in every bank account. It’s 2019 now, what happened to that promise?” he asked.

Govt in LS says paid crop insurance claims worth Rs 9,046 cr to 80 lakh farmers in kharif 2018

The government has paid crop insurance claims worth Rs 9,046 crore to 80 lakh farmers for the kharif 2018 season under PMFBY and RWBCIS, Parliament was informed.

The government currently offers two crop insurance schemes namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS).

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said Rs 9,046 crore worth claims have been paid to 80 lakh farmers under PMFBY and weather index based RWBCIS for the kharif 2018 season. — PTI

Govt in LS says there has been incursion of desert locust in Rajasthan, Gujarat from Pakistan border areas

There has been an incursion of desert locust, a kind of grasshopper, since 21 May this year in Rajasthan and Gujarat from Pakistan border areas but no evidence of crop damage is seen till date, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday.

Its presence has been noticed mainly in Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jalore districts of Rajasthan, while Banaskantha district in Gujarat, he said.

“Till date, there is no evidence of crop damages by desert locust. Neither the desert locust control teams nor any state agriculture functionaries have reported any damage to the crops,” Tomar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. — PTI

One percent of Indians hold 75 percent of nation’s wealth, says BJP’s Varun Gandhi

BJP’s Varun Gandhi begins speech after arguments in the House are put to rest. He said that there is no directive to the Minimum Wage Act of 1948 though India was one of the first developing countries to pass this Act. “In the 1920’s, during the time of Raja-Maharaja’s, 1 percent of them held 25 percent of country’s wealth, but today 1 percent of Indians hold 75 percent of the nation’s wealth,” he said.

Gujarat getting tax benefits shows there is cooperative favouritism, says Ram Mohan Naidu

“There is ‘Cooperative favoritism’ instead of ‘Cooperative federalism’. Developed state like Gujarat has been getting tax benefits. Government should tell how many companies have come up due to Make In India, how many jobs were created,” says TDP’s Rammohan Naidu.

Andhra Pradesh has been betrayed, says TDP MP Ram Mohan Naidu

TDP’s Ram Mohan Naidu points out discrepancies in the Budget, concerning the sanctioned amounts, fiscal deficit and GDP figures. “Andhra Pradesh has been betrayed with respect to the Special Category Status, railway corridor, among other projects and promises,” Naidu said.​

TDP is not in a crisis, but we respect YSRCP since it has come with a thumping mandate. “Make in India and Mudra loans are a failure, 50% of these loans are now NPA,” he said.

What will the govt do to bring more gold medals in 2020 Olympics, questions YSRCP MP

Bharat welcomed the vision of one nation, one grid for electricity, gas and roads,  Bharatmala and corporate tax legislations. However, he questioned if the government has a roadmap for winning gold medals in 2020 Olympics and coming in the top 10 rankings worldwide?

“Andhra Pradesh is in crisis. I urge the PM to take care of wounded Andhra Pradesh. Do not see people through prism of Chandrababu Naidu. I request PM to give Special Category Status without any further delay and implement provisions of AP Reorganisation Act. We also request for the timely release of funds to state and the sanction 13 major industries in 13 districts of AP. NDA government should not ignore Andhra Pradesh when it follows the slogan of ‘sabka saath, sabka vishwas, sabka vikas’.

YSRCP’s Margani Bharat said the NDA, UPA governments left Andhra Pradesh in lurch

Margani Bharat, YSRCP MP in Lok Sabha, said that even though Narendra Modi has put our nation on the global pedestal, the people of Andhra Pradesh are disappointed with Budget.

“During the Lok Sabha election campaign, Modi had promised at the footsteps of temple of Lord Tirupati Balaji that he will give special category status to bifurcated Andhra Pradesh. None of these promises are fulfilled and we feel neglected,” Bharat said.​

Andhra is considered rich when it comes to the agricultural sector, he said, adding that people invested after the government’s promises, but all the riched were “given to Telangana”. “UPA divided the state and left it in a lurch, and now the NDA govt is doing the same,” he said.

The Union Budget’s aim is to establish the grounds for New India, says Rajyavardhan Rathore

Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore begins his speech by saying, “In the last five years, the lack of commitment displayed by leaders before the Modi government was reversed by the ruling dispensation. To establish the ground for a New India is the purpose of this Budget. To the questions by the Opposition, I would say that we are determined to serve the people.”

Rathore said that even the Opposition knows the work done in the last 60 months has superseded the work done in 60 years. “We have given roads, aim to provide water, electricity, homes and health schemes in every home by 2014. Ours is among the fastest growing economies in the world. With respect to fiscal deficit, we have brought in the highest FDI. We opened FDI into media and animation sectors, which sees the high involvement of the youth,” he added.

DMK’s A Raja says the budget does not disclose total revenue

“More than Rs 1,000 crore decline in Tamil Nadu allotment between interim and full budget. For the first time, budget speech does not disclose total revenue, total expenditure. Only 0.7 % companies are to pay 30% corporate tax, 99.3 % will pay 25 % tax,” said A Raja, DMK

Govt failed to generate jobs in a country, demonetisation made matters worse, says TMC’s Sisir Adhikari

​Trinamool Congress’ Sisir Adhikari began his speech in the Lok Sabha by saying that even though the current Union Budget is meant to be a 10-year roadmap for India’s economy, the country’s youth has been ignored. “India is a country of youth and failure of the government to generate employment, along with whimsical steps like demonetisation, has made matters serious. Before elections, the government discredited its own officials who prepared NSSO report. In entire budget speech, only one paragraph is talking about definitive schemes addressing employment generation.”

India needs better water management: Sunita Duggal, BJP

BJP ML Sunita Duggal lauds Narendra Modi govt’s accomplishments. Stressing the need to focus on better water management, she said that the states with surplus water don;t understand the importance of water resource, whereas states with water scarcity are struggling for every drop.

जल प्रबंधन पर ध्यान देना होगा। जहां सरप्लस है वहां लोग उसका महत्व नहीं समझते, जहां पानी की कमी है वहां लोग बूंद-बूंद के लिए तरसते हैंः सुनीता दुग्गल, बीजेपी pic.twitter.com/5KyIwkcmun

— Lok Sabha TV (@loksabhatv) July 9, 2019

Lok Sabha: Congress MP Preneet Kaur slams govt over defence budget

Stating that the 10 percent increase in defence budget will be meaningless due to inflation, Congress MP Preneet Kaur slammed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for failing to address the needs of India’s defence sector.

For the first time FM has failed to make an announcement regarding defence forces. The allotment has been raised just 10 percent which becomes a meager rise due to inflation: Preneet Kaur, INC pic.twitter.com/BZsebkQM9W

— Lok Sabha TV (@loksabhatv) July 9, 2019