Price rise: Adjournment motion in LS by NDA, others tomorrow
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Price rise: Adjournment motion in LS by NDA, others tomorrow!
MONSOON Nautankee Reality Show Live Once Again as the Millionaire Parliamentarians Sustain Manusmriti Rule and Have Nothing to do with the Problems Created by the Corporate Zionist Hegemony!Not unexpectedly, parliament was held up today as the opposition united in demanding an immediate discussion on the rise in prices followed by a vote, leading to adjournment of both houses.
The government has ruled out a vote.
Ninety eight out of 183 Rajya Sabha MPs (54 per cent) whose assets could be assessed are millionaires. An NGO National Election Watch has released its findings on the MPs claiming that this is the first time that an analysis like this is available on Rajya Sabha members as their affidavits and the asset declarations had to be collected from "multiple sources."It adds that 37 MPs in the Rajya Sabha (out of 219, i.e. 17 per cent) declared criminal cases pending against them according to self-sworn affidavits filed at time of their election to Rajya Sabha.Out of these 12 MPs declared serious criminal cases pending against them according to these affidavits.
The Parliament is unlikely to function on Tuesday for the third day in a row with the opposition NDA and some other parties demanding an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and suspension of Question Hour in the Upper House to discuss the issue of price rise.
"Tomorrow also we will bring an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and will not agree to a discussion under any other provision as we want voting on the issue. Only when there is voting, will we know who is in favour and who is not," Deputy Leader of BJP in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde said.
In the Rajya Sabha, a notice for suspension of Question Hour under Rule 168 to discuss and vote on price rise will again be moved tomorrow by the BJP and other opposition parties.
"Government wants to postpone discussions under an adjournment motion on price rise. We will ask the Chair to decide what should be done. Till now the government has not formally rejected our demand for an adjournment motion and the Speaker's ruling is pending," Mr. Munde said.
The main opposition claimed it had discussed the strategy on "floor level coordination" with other political parties, who want discussion and voting on the issue.
"We are fully confident that almost the entire opposition will be united on price rise. Samajwadi Party and RJD also want voting on this issue," Mr. Munde said.
BJP has moved its adjournment motion for discussion and voting on increase in prices of kerosene and LPG cylinders to prevent any government attempt to reject it on grounds of the issue not being of "recent occurrence," a condition required for such a motion to be accepted.
The Editor at Times of India seems to harbor similar opinions like many Indians on this topic. [Emphasis mine]
Our MPs clearly don't deserve a salary hike. Any pay raise must be linked to performance. But the track record of Indian MPs in the recent past has been poor, to say the least.
They have neglected one of their basic duties crafting and debating legislation. The figures for business conducted by Parliament speak for themselves. The number of sittings of the Lok Sabha has come down from a yearly average of 124 in the first decade of 1952-61 to 81 between 1992-2001, a decline of 34 per cent. This has had a direct impact on the number of Bills passed by Parliament. The annual average of the number of Bills passed has come down from 68 in the first decade to 50 between 1992-2001…And even when Bills are passed, they are done without debate since MPs are busy shouting slogans or creating mayhem in the House.
Meanwhile,Targeting to check the double digit inflation, RBI today hiked its short-term lending and borrowing rates by 0.25 per cent and 0.50 per cent respectively, a move that could put pressure on banks to make auto, home and commercial loans expensive. Although Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the steps announced by the Reserve Bank will check inflation without hurting growth, bankers and the industry fear that the initiatives will put pressure on interest rates.
While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day, the Lok Sabha saw repeated disruptions and was adjourned till noon. The unruly scenes continued when it reconvened, and the house was again adjourned at 2 pm.Left parties today made a fresh demand for discussion on the price situation in Parliament tomorrow under rules which entail voting, after both Houses were adjourned following opposition ruckus over the issue. "We have submitted fresh notices in both Houses for discussion on the matter tomorrow under rules which entail voting. The notices have been submitted as an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha and under Rule 168 in Rajya Sabha," CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury and Basudeb Acharia said here. "There have been several debates on price rise in both the Houses, but there has been no action by the government. Unless you have the pressure of voting, they will not act. Our move is intended to put pressure on the government," Yechury said. The Left parties had served similar notices for debate on the issue today also. Maintaining that stocks of rice and wheat in government godowns were more than double the required quantity, he said "the grain is rotting as they are lying in the open at many places like Punjab. Why is the government holding on to them? Why can't it release them to the state governments for distribution through the PDS". Reiterating the Left demand for banning of futures and forward trading in essential commodities and universalising PDS, Yechury said the government was not willing to accept these demands. "People continue to suffer as government says 'good monsoons will lead to good harvest'". Pointing out that debate on price rise under an adjournment motion was allowed in April 2000 in the Lok Sabha, Acharia said there was no ground for the government to suggest that a discussion under a rule which entails voting cannot be allowed. "If they are sure of their numbers, why are they afraid of allowing a debate under an adjournment motion? Rules do not prevent it," Acharia maintained. Acharia and Yechury said the Left parties have met leaders of TDP, BJD and AIADMK to firm up floor coordination on the issue in the two Houses and would talk to Samajwadi Party and RJD tomorrow. Besides the price rise issue, the CPI(M) would raise issues concerning the Bhopal gas disaster. "Dow Chemicals must be held responsible for clearing toxic waste lying in Bhopal for the past 26 years", Yechury said. He said the government should learn from the US, with which it has a strategic relationship, as to how it was handling the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and asked British Petroleum to spend USD two billion for compensation. "But here we are completely exonerating Dow," he said. The CPI(M) would also seek a discussion on illegal mining and demand nationalisation of mineral resources which were being "exported freely".
As soon as Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members assembled for the first working day of the monsoon session at 11 am, opposition MPs began shouting slogans, stalling proceedings as they gave vent to vociferous protests. Even parties allied to the government like the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal joined in the opposition demand.
Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj asked Speaker Meira Kumar to "set aside all the business and allow a discussion over rising prices, followed by a vote".
She said the increase in prices of kerosene and cooking gas (LPG) had upset the budget of the common man.
She said a number of opposition members have submitted adjournment motions on the issue.
In its first quarterly review of the monetary policy, RBI today increased the short-term lending rate (repo) to 5.75 per cent and short-term borrowing rate (reverse repo) to 4.50 per cent with immediate effect. It, however, kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR), the cash which banks are required to keep with RBI, and bank rate unchanged as liquidity is tight in the system following over Rs one lakh crore outgo due to payments by telecom companies for acquiring spectrum.
The central bank has also raised the inflation target from 5.5 per cent to six per cent and said that economy will grow by 8.5 per cent, up from earlier projection of 8 per cent, this fiscal. "I expect this policy will lead to further easing of inflation which already is going down.
It should also keep us fully on track in terms of growth. The monetary policy .
is another calibrated step in the right direction," Mukherjee said while talking to reporters in Delhi. However, according to Central Bank of India executive director Arun Kaul, "the monetary action by RBI is aimed at attacking inflation.
It has made funds costlier for banks. It is a signal for upward movement of interest rates".
Describing the RBI''s policy measures "a bit worrisome", Ficci president Rajan Mittal said, "the reverse repo (rate) increase will incentivise parking of funds by banks with RBI..
reducing lending opportunities to industry.
there is always underlying fear of the rate hike eventually leading to increase in lending rate.
" Assocham President Swati Piramal expressed fear that "the lending rates may move north by 25 to 50 basis points making bank borrowings a little dearer.
Mulayam non-committal, if voting held
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was non-committal Tuesday when asked whether his party would vote against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government if Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar agrees for an adjournment motion on price rise and the fuel price hike.Asked if he is still with the Congress led government, Mulayam said 'I'm with you,' and refused to answer whether he would vote against the government if there was a discussion on an adjournment motion, which entails voting.
The Samajwadi Party and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) provide outside support to the Manmohan Singh government. MPs belonging to the two parties, led by the two Yadav's, Tuesday trooped to the speaker's podium in the Lok Sabha, raising slogans against the government over the price rise.
'This arrogant government must bring down prices,' Mulayam Singh Yadav told reporters after the house was adjourned for the day due to the repeated disruptions on the price rise issue.
The two Yadavs, who pressed for cut motion a demanding a roll-back of the fuel price hike during the budget session of parliament, had staged a walk out when the speaker put it to vote.
The government says it is ready for a discussion on the issue but not as an adjournment motion.
The BJP and the Left have said the adjournment motions will be moved under rule 56 in the Lok Sabha and under rule 168 in the Rajya Sabha that require voting. While the government has adequate numbers in the Lok Sabha to defeat the motion, the situation in the Rajya Sabha is tricky.
The government and its allies can count on 89 members and the opposition on 104 in the upper house. However, the swing votes of 51 members belonging to parties like the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party, as also smaller parties and independent and nominated members, could make a difference.
The three parties have, in the past, sided with the government but given the general anger over the issue within and outside parliament, they could well decide to vote with the opposition to ensure the adjournment motion passes.
Since the voting is not on a money bill, the government would not have to resign if the adjournment motion passes. It would, however, be a huge embarassment for the government.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress, a key ally of the Congress, said it wanted a discussion on the price rise and the fuel price hike.
However, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's party oppsed the demand for a discussion under a rule that entails voting.
'We are in favour of a discussion on the issue of price rise,' said Trinamool Congress Chief Whip Sudip Bandhyopadhyay.
He said the opposition could not force the government to accept any demand that entails voting as it would be tantamount to a no-confidence motion.
Rally for women's quota bill Thursday
Women's groups across the country Tuesday announced that they would hold a rally in the capital Thursday, which would be attended by Communist leader Brinda Karat and actress Sharmila Tagore, to pressurise the government to pass the women's reservation bill.'Thousands of women from all corners of the country would participate in the rally which will commence at 11 a.m. from Jantar Mantar and proceed towards the Parliament House,' said Annie Raja, general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW).
'Javed Akhtar, Sharmila Tagore, and Brinda Karat, among others, would be joining us. There will be a public meeting followed by speeches and a cultural programme,' she added.
Said Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research: 'This is a do or die battle for us. We are not going to give up and this is the message that we want to give to the government. Moreover, women are suffering the most from the back-breaking price-rise... the reservation can be a gift for them.'
The women's reservation bill seeks to reserve 33 percent of seats in parliament and the state assemblies for women. The government hopes to introduce the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing monsoon session of parliament.
The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha during parliament's budget session earlier this year amidst protests by the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal-United.
These parties are demanding a quota within a quota for dalits, backwards and minorities.
Better monsoon may act dampener for inflation: RBI
A better monsoon than last year augurs well for the farm production, which might act as a major dampener for food inflation, RBI said today. "The cumulative rainfall has been 14 per cent below its long period average (LPA) during the current monsoon season so far (as on July 21, 2010).Even so, monsoon performance has been much better than it was last year, which augurs well for agricultural production," the RBI said in its monetary review. Data on crop-wise area indicate a significant increase over the relatively low levels of last year, the country''s apex bank said.
"A good kharif harvest will act as a major dampener on short-term food price inflation," RBI Governor D Subbarao said. Food inflation is 12.47 per cent for the week ended July 10.
Despite deficient monsoon so far, RBI noted that it has been enough to induce a significant increase in sown area across a range of crops, the high prices of which have been a source of great worry. Food inflation has remained at an elevated level for over a year now reflecting structural bottlenecks in certain food items such as pulses, milk and vegetables, RBI said.
The country had faced the worst-ever drought in three decades last year as a result of which foodgrain production fell by over 16 million tonnes from a record of over 234.47 million tonnes in 2008-09.
Pawar to meet sugar industry bodies on decontrol on July 29
Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has called a meeting on July 29 with the sugar industry bodies ISMA and NFCSF to discuss about decontrolling the sector. The sugar sector is under the government''s control.The Food Ministry allocates the monthly quota that mills sell in the open market, as well as through ration shops. Besides that, mills are required to sell 20 per cent of their output to the government for distribution under the PDS. The minister had recently said the time is ripe for freeing the sugar sector from all the government controls and a proposal in this regard will be ready soon.
"We are preparing a proposal which will be ready in 10 days. Then, we will seek views of different ministries.
It would take another two-three months for the proposal to be placed before Cabinet, as by then, availability of cane and the likely production will be known," Pawar had said.
Early this month, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) and the National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories (NFCSF), the apex bodies, had submitted a four-point proposal on decontrol of the sugar sector. In the wish-list, the industry sought the government to do away with monthly release mechanism, PDS sugar to be procured from the market, removal of sugar from the purview of the Essential Commodities Act and cane price to be fixed on the basis of realisation from sugar and its by-products.
The Food Ministry has started initial rounds of discussion with various stakeholders to take a firm view on some of the issues.
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Anger as Indian MPs vote themselves a pay increase
Anuj Chopra, Foreign Correspondent
- Last Updated: June 30. 2010 10:16PM UAE / June 30. 2010 6:16PM GMT
Critics are upset by a drift away from Ghandi's principles of service in the Indian parliament. Gurinder Osan / AP
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