New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) Opposition parties on Tuesday demanded discussions on issues like the scrapping of MGNREGA, SIR, India’s foreign policy and the state of the economy during the Budget session, stressing that their voice should be heard for Parliament to run smoothly.
They also questioned the government for not circulating the tentative legislative agenda for the session at an all-party meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the eve of the session.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, downplayed the issue, saying the list of government business is shared after the President’s address and assuring the members that it will be provided to them.
Pramod Tiwari, deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha, said his party wants to raise the issues of dwindling value of Rupee and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGS) being replaced by the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, among others.
“Rupee is at its lowest at Rs.92 per dollar… then there is the issue of Russian oil, US sanctions, pollution that we have seen in Delhi… What happened in Indore, the number of people who died… People are falling ill in Gandhinagar?” Tiwari said.
He also raised the pending issue of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.
“The most serious issue is unemployment. Guaranteed rural employment in rural areas is being ended with the scrapping of MGNREGA…,” he said.
Tiwari said the issues would be raised by Congress as well as other opposition parties during the Parliament session.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose said her party raised the issue of Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls (SIR) in West Bengal, and said there are serious concerns regarding the process.
“We reiterated in the all-party meeting that the ongoing SIR process in West Bengal must be discussed on the floor of Parliament during the Budget Session. The manner in which the SIR exercise is being conducted raises serious questions about the neutrality and transparency of the Election Commission, and this deserves discussion,” Ghose said.
The TMC also raised the issue of pending dues for West Bengal and other states ruled by non-NDA parties.
“We further reiterated that funds meant for states, especially opposition-ruled states, cannot be withheld in this manner and must be released. The misuse of central agencies in poll-bound states, including the filing of ED cases, must also be taken up for discussion,” she said.
Ghose said the opposition parties stressed in the all-party meeting that Parliament is not a “one-way street”.
“The opposition must be given an opportunity to speak, and its voice must be heard. Parliament is a platform for the opposition to function, and the opposition must be given time. Bills cannot be passed in two or three minutes; they should be sent to committees and sufficient time should be given for proper study.
“Above all, Parliament must be respected and allowed to function. We want Parliament to run smoothly, but for that, the voice of the opposition must be heard,” she said.
CPI(M) leader John Brittas said they demanded a structured discussion on issues like India’s foreign policy, Labour Codes, Centre-state relations and the VB-G RAM G replacing MGNREGA “In foreign policy, we want to discuss repeated humiliation by Donald Trump and the US administration, and the silence of the Indian government with regard to things that are happening in global politics. What is the stand of the government regarding the Board of Peace, Palestine, Iran, Venezuela…” Brittas said.
“We want a serious discussion on the Centre-state relationship, wherein the office of the governor is being used to disrupt governance in opposition-ruled states, and on MGNREGA, which has been scrapped. Fifty crore people have been affected and a huge burden has been heaped on state governments,” he said.
He demanded a discussion on SIR. “Mass disenfranchisement of voters – even I have been asked to undergo this tedious process of verification. If this is the predicament of a member of parliament, what is the plight of a common man?” he said.
Brittas also criticised the government for not providing the agenda for the upcoming session. Several opposition leaders raised the issue at the all-party meeting, Congress leader K Suresh told reporters.
“Government has not come out with a list of business… An empty cover was given. Now the government has reluctantly agreed to circulate business,” Brittas said.
CPI leader P Sandosh Kumar said his party demanded a Special Fiscal Correction Package for Kerala to address a severe resource gap of over Rs 21,000 crore.
Raising serious concerns over the ongoing SIR, Kumar warned that the exercise is effectively turning into a “Special Intensive Removal” across states.
“The Election Commission is fast turning into an ‘eradication commission’,” Kumar said.
He also demanded discussion on “restoration of MGNREGA”, increasing remuneration for ASHA workers, withdrawal of Labour codes, and opposed the Seed Bill, urging the government to address these issues in the Budget session.
Rijiju, however, ruled out any discussions on the VB-G RAM G Act or the SIR in the Budget session of Parliament beginning Wednesday, saying that the two issues had already been debated by both Houses and “we cannot reverse the gear”.
He said opposition MPs put forth several issues, and these can be raised during debate on the President’s address and the Budget.
The Budget session will start on January 28 and the first part will end on February 13.
