Parliament Updates: Don’t let bad policies kill farmers, says Congress MP; CPI's Binoy Visvam calls Budget 'document of illusions'

Lok Sabha | Bring metro rails to Visakhapatnam, Vijawada, demands TDP’s Ram Mohan Naidu

Stating that the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act had a provision for the same, TDP’s Ram Mohan Naidu demanded that metro rails be brought to Visakhapatnam and Vijaywada. The state also needs the development of a rail corridor, he said, requesting the government to introduce a train between Visakhapatnam and Varanasi.

He demanded PPP implementation to modify smaller stations in his state, adding that the modification of the smaller stations could create opportunities to earn livelihoods for the people residing around these areas.

Lok Sabha | Budget has granted highest ever amount to the North East, says BJP’s Pratima Bhoumik

Lauding the Budget, BJP’s Pratima Bhoumik said the people of Tripura have never seen railways until 2017. “It is because of Narendra Modi that people of Tripura have been able to experience trains after 70 years of independence,” she said.

She also said that till date, North East has been granted the highest amount ever in a Budget.

Lok Sabha | Request rail ministry to start trains from Vadodara to Haridwar and Amritsar to benefit pilgrims, says BJP’s Ranjanaben Bhatt​

BJP’s Ranjanaben Dhanajay Bhatt welcomed the government's' initiative of private trains and going green. “The Vadodara Smart City project will look to implement the multi-model transport hub soon,” she said, adding that the Rs 25 crore railway university has benefited the youth and enhanced the educational capabilities of Vadodara.

She also said that the National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI) will continue the legacy of the National Academy of Indian Railway. Bhatt said that the Aadarsh bus station in her constituency is no less than ‘a national airport’, emphasising that it was built under the PPP model. She also requested the rail ministry to introduce trains from Vadodara to Haridwar and Vadodara to Amritsar for the benefit of the devotees in Gujarat. 

Lok Sabha | ‘Door-closer’ trains have led to reduce in rail accident fatalities, says BJP’s Gopal Shetty

BJP’s Gopal Shetty said that the PPP model is the only solution to the issues that the railways face, adding that the money saved under the model can be reinvested to develop other infrastructure.

He said that while the government has been considerate towards those displaced by railway projects, the implementation of MUTP 3A has been lax. He also said that the 'door-closer' trains have played a big role in reducing the number of people who are killed in rail accidents, requesting that ladies special trains also have coaches with doors.

Rajya Sabha | Long-term policies necessary to bring in FDI, says SAD’s Naresh Gujral

Shiromani Akali Dal’s Naresh Gujral supported the Budget by saying that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been able to keep a balance between fiscal deficit and growth. “For the first time, the government has focused on the farmers, especially with regard to Minimum Support Price,” he said.​

Gujral also said that constituency and long-term policies is necessary to Foreign Direct Investment, adding that the world does not like "flip-flop" policies.

Rajya Sabha | Union Budget did not address working class, farmers and poor, alleged Elamaram Kareem, CPM

CPM MP Elamaram Kareem accused the Centre of discrimination against Kerala, especially with regard to providing assistance to the state in the aftermath of the 2018 floods. "Neither did the Centre permit the State to access help from outside the country, nor did they help themselves," alleged Kareem.

The Rajya Sabha MP also said that the Union Budget 2019 failed to address the working class people, farmers and the poor. "The reforms  for the government can be be equated to taking wealth from the poor and giving to the corporates. It was completely silent on the agrarian distress, the industrial crisis and unemployment. The government is exaggerating figures to make it seem like India is growing stronger," Kareem said. 

Rajya Sabha | Rate of unemployment highest in last 45 years, says Prasanna Acharaya, BJD

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Prasanna Acharaya said that the biggest problem that the country is subjected to is unemployment. "It is the highest in the last 45 years and yet it has not been addressed adequately," Acharaya said.

He also questioned the curtailing the MGNREGA funds. "When there is a drought-like situation in different states. The government should be allocating more to the scheme in such a situation," the BJD leader said. 

Lok Sabha | Every welfare programme named in Hindi, don't understand it: Kanimozhi on welfare schemes named in Hindi

Kanimozhi also hit out at the Centre for naming welfare schemes in Hindi. "This govt has taken up that every program will be only named in Hindi.I would like to ask you how will a villager in my district understand what it is? I've seen signboards in Thoothukudi saying PM Sadak Yojana,with no translation. I don't understand it," said the DMK leader.

Rajya Sabha | Union Budget 2019 did not raise hopes of unemployed youth, pensioners, says Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, TMC

Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that the Union Budget failed to raise the hopes of the unemployed youth of the country and the pensioners.

The TMC leader said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had halwa at the printing of the Budget at the Finance Ministry. "Some of that halwa should have been given to the common people through the Budget," said Roy.

Goa chief minister M Pramod Sawant arrives in Parliament

Day after 10 of the 15 Congress legislators who have sided with the BJP, Goa chief minister M Pramod Sawant arrived in the Parliament on Thursday with two of the 10 MLAs. The MLAs are likely to meet BJP chief Amit Shah and working President JP Nadda later on Thursday.

Lok Sabha | Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury targets Centre over railways

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury targetted the government over the situation of farmers and the railways. Reportedly, he said that the Centre did not care about farmers. He also listed the NDA-I's promises from the previous Union Budget, which have not been fulfilled.

He said that the Centre was not focussing attention on the railways. He said, "The growth of the railways' revenue from its core business of running freight and passenger trains is declining."

Rajya Sabha | Veerendra Kumar says 10 percent customs duty on news print should be rolled back

MP Veerendra Kumar said that the 10 percent custom duty levied on newsprint should be reversed as the print media is already tackling factors like the "lack of funds".

Rajya Sabha | P Chidambaram says goal of $5 trillion economy is 'pie in the sky'

Former finance minister P Chidambaram weighed in on the Union Budget on Thursday and said that the Centre was showing people a "pie in the sky" by talking about the goal of growing to a $5 trillion economy by 2020-25. He said that as long as the rate of growth is 11-12 percent, the rate of the economy will continue to double every five or six years.

"It is the magic of compounding," he said, adding, "Any money lender will be able to explain the same. Instead, bold structural reforms is needed because the economy is weak."

He also said, "While loans worth  Rs 5 ,55,603 crore have been written off for corporates, the same has not been done for farmers, micro industries, small industries."

Lok Sabha | Rajnath Singh responds to Rahul Gandhi over farmer suicides

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi brought up the issue of farmer suicides in the Lok Sabha on Thursday and criticised the Union Budge saying that there had been no "concrete steps" taken to provide relief to the farmers from debts. He also said that the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the farmers have remained unfulfilled.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in reply, said that the agrarian distress and the situation of the farmers is not a new phenomenon and "is a product of the failures of the governments that came before the BJP government."

Rajya Sabha | Union Budget is not 'bold', says P Chidambaram

Rajya Sabha | P Chidambaram speaks in debate on Union Budget in Parliament

Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram began his speech in the debate on the Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha by condemning the political crisis unfolding in Karnataka and Goa.

Weighing in on the Budget, Chidambaram said that the calculation of the GDP for last fiscal year is separate in the Economic Survey and the Budget document.

"Moreover, according to the budget document, growth projection is set at 8 percent, while the Economic Survey says 7 percent. There is no unified picture of the growth rate from the government," he was quoted as saying.

Lok Sabha | Rahul Gandhi says 'no concrete steps' to end farmer distress in Budget

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke on the agrarian crisis in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. He said, "The farmers in the country are suffering. I would like to draw the govt's attention towards it. No concrete steps were taken in the Union Budget to provide relief to the farmers."

"I would like to request the Central govt to direct RBI to consider the moratorium by Kerala govt & ensure that banks don't threaten farmers with recovery notice," he added.

"Yesterday,a farmer in Wayanad committed suicide due to debt. In Wayanad, bank notices for non-payment of loans given to 8,000 farmers. Under a relevant act their properties are attached against their bank loans, this is resulting in rise in farmers suicide," he said.