Page 2 - Parliament Winter Session

Six non-BJP ruled states have not reduced VAT on petroleum products: Govt

Six non-BJP ruled states West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Kerala and Jharkhand have not reduced the VAT on petroleum products, leading to higher prices of petrol and diesel there, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday. Puri said in Lok Sabha that the central government has reduced excise duty on petroleum products and some other states, following cues, and reduced their Value Added Tax (VAT). Six states West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Kerala and Jharkhand have not reduced the VAT, he said amidst vocal protests by the opposition members. The minister said, currently the petrol price in India is one of the lowest. He said the oil marketing companies together suffered losses of Rs 27,276 crore due to high prices of crude in international markets. I suggest MPs from the opposition impress upon their state governments to reduce the VAT so that they can also join the celebrations, he said. Puri said India imports more than 85 p

Parliament winter session: Rajya Sabha adjourned twice amid uproar

Seven Opposition members had given notices to the chairman on various issues, but were not allowed

Congress gives adjournment notice in LS for 3rd day in row on border clash

The notice said the reports suggest that China has built a massive infrastructure and there is additional troop buildup on the LAC

Parliamentary panel to submit report on India's Covid response in LS today

Panel's chairman and BJP MP PP Chaudhary will lay the report on the table of the House

Parliament passes bill to rename New Delhi International Arbitration Centre

Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to rename the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre as the India International Arbitration Centre. The Rajya Sabha passed the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which was piloted by Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in the house on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill on August 2022, which expands this to include the conduct of other forms of alternative dispute resolution besides arbitration. While replying to the debate, Rijiju in the Upper House said this bill will help India emerge as an attractive destination for arbitration at the global level. "India is still not a hub for arbitration, while small countries and cities have emerged as major centres for arbitration," the minister said. He assured the members saying that with the steps being taken by the Modi government, India would emerge as an arbitration centre in the coming years. "This amendment has been brought with that approach,"

India-China border clash to rock Parliament as several MPs seek discussion

A joint Opposition has planned to corner the government over the recent clashes along LAC between Indian and Chinese forces in Arunachal Pradesh with several MPs seeking discussion on the situation

GST evasion of Rs 23,000 cr by gaming firms being investigated: MoS to LS

GST evasion of about Rs 23,000 crore by gaming companies between April 2019 and November 2022 is being investigated by the tax officers, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on Monday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, the minister said the Enforcement Directorate has attached proceeds of crime of more than Rs 1,000 crore in several cases related to Cyber and Crypto assets frauds wherein online gaming etc have been used for siphoning the proceeds. About evasion of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Chaudhary said Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) formations have initiated investigations against some gaming companies (including online gaming firms) located in India as well as abroad. "The estimated evasion of GST by these companies works out of Rs 22,936 crore, relating to the period April 2019 to Nov. 2022," he said. Besides, the Directorate of Enforcement is investigating several cases related to Cyber and Crypto assets frauds wherein ..

'3,000 raids on opposition leaders', says AAP's Sanjay Singh in RS

He alleged that the government agencies were deliberately harassing the opposition

India gold seizures hit three-year high after import duty increase

This was the largest amount since 2019, when 3,673 kilograms of gold was seized

Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav takes oath as Lok Sabha member

Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav, who was elected to Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, on Monday took oath as a member of the House. After taking oath, Yadav touched the feet of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who was sitting in the front row of the opposition benches. Yadav greeted leaders of both opposition and treasury benches while going to take oath as well as after taking it. She took oath in Hindi. Her husband and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav was seen sitting in the visitors' gallery. Yadav won the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat in a recently held by-election that was necessitated following the death of her father-in-law and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

BJP's Sushil Modi demands to 'phase out' 2,000 rupee notes in Rajya Sabha

A demand to gradually phase out 2,000 rupee currency notes was made in the Rajya Sabha on Monday with BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi saying citizens holding such banknotes should be given two years to deposit it. Raising the issue through a zero-hour mention, he said 2,000 rupee notes have vanished from most ATMs in the country and there are rumours that they may not be legal tender soon. "The government has to clarify on this," he said, adding the RBI stopped printing the 2,000 rupee currency notes 3 years back. The 2,000 rupee currency note along with a new 500 rupee note was introduced when the government overnight demonetised old 500 and 1000 rupee notes. "There was no logic of bringing a 2,000 rupee note when 1,000 rupee note circulation was stopped," he said and went on to cite examples of developed nations that do not have currency notes of higher denomination. He said 2,000 rupee notes are being hoarded and are often used in illegal trades such as that drugs, and money ...

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demands discussion on internal security in LS

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the country's internal security situation. Speaking in the House, Chowdhury alleged that the security situation from Kashmir to Punjab has worsened and the number of terror camps has increased in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 377. "The law and order is worsening in the country so there should be a discussion (in the House) on internal security situation," Chowdhury said. Speaking during the Zero Hour, Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Shiromani Akali Dal) demanded that government consult farmers before proceeding with the amendments in the Electricity (amendment) Bill, 2022. She said the Government had given written assurances to the farmers following which they withdrew their year-long agitation in December 2021. "The Government has not acted on the written assurances given to farmers in December last year and the farmers are getting ready for further agitation," Badal said. Preneet Kaur (IN

Adjournment motion notice in LS to discuss judiciary-govt confrontation

Manish Tewari stated that such statements prima facie undermine the faith in our country's highest court and the justice system in general

YSRCP MP Vijay Sai Reddy raises instant loan app fraud issue in RS

He said the police arrested only the Indian agents and the companies were operating from China, and were also working without permission of the RBI

Where is the confrontation with the judiciary possibly headed?

The SC had declared NJAC Act unconstitutional, arguing that the primacy of the judiciary in judicial appointments was embedded in the 'basic structure' of the Constitution

RS to discuss Bill seeking inclusion of Gonds in ST category in parts of UP

The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 28, 2022. It was passed in the Lok Sabha in April

1,000 Khelo India centres to open across India next year: Anurag Thakur

The minister said as compared to 2014, when the budget of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was Rs 1,219 crore, it had increased to 3,062 crore for the year 2022-23

More than 50 private member bills introduced in Lok Sabha on Dec 9

More than 50 private member bills, including the one seeking to revert to the old system of voting through ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs), were introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday. The bill to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1951 was introduced by BSP member Danish Ali. The other bills were related to shutdown of internet, loan waiver and prevention of mob lynching. DMK's Thamizhachi Thangapandian introduced a bill to provide for setting up of an effective system to prevent internet shutdown and procedural safeguards to bring greater transparency and accountability for the shutdown. Congress member Dean Kuriakose introduced a bill for setting up of a board for the identification of loans to be waived as a one-time measure in national interest within the country. E T Mohammed Basheer of the IUML introduced a bill to prevent mob lynching and provide adequate punishment for persons committing mob lynching with a view to instill a sense of fear a

4 bills introduced in Lok Sabha to revise ST lists in as many states

Four separate bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday to revise the lists of Scheduled Tribes in as many states. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda introduced the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bills for Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill seeks to to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in Tamil Nadu. Similarly, the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill aims to provide for inclusion of certain communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Himachal Pradesh. Another bill seeks to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka. The fourth bill aims to include certain communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Chhattisgarh. From time to time, the government brings such bills to give effect to modifications proposed by various states in relation to the ST list.

About 41.8 mn hospital admissions worth Rs 489 bn authorised under AB-PMJAY

Approximately 4.18 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 48,934.9 crore have been authorised under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY) through a network of 26,267 empanelled healthcare providers, including 11,700 private hospitals till December 4, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. The percentage of hospital admissions authorised in the private sector by count and amount are 57 per cent and 67 per cent, respectively, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply. On whether the government was aware that people were not able to avail of benefits under AB-PMJAY due to the apathy of private hospitals, Pawar said healthcare providers could not deny treatment to genuine beneficiaries according to the terms and conditions of empanelment. In case of denial of treatment by the empanelled hospital, beneficiaries can lodge grievances on the designated web portal or mobile application of Central Grievance Redressal Management System, she .