Budget session: 99% of allotted time used

NEW DELHI: The first half of the Budget Session, which began with opposition parties boycotting the President’s address to Parliament and saw protests and disruptions over three farm laws, was able to utilise about 99% of its allotted time, according to official records.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Saturday, ending the first phase of the Budget Session, which witnessed 13 privilege notices filed by MPS. Parliament will reconvene on March 8 after recess.

The recess allows department-related standing committees to examine demands for grants of various ministries.

The Rajya Sabha proceedings ended on Friday, while the Lok Sabha sat on Saturday morning to complete the discussion on the Union Budget. Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu said that the Upper House clocked 99% productivity, with a net time loss of only 30 minutes due to disruptions.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced that the Lower House utilised 99.5% of its time by sitting for longer hours after four consecutive days were washed out over demand for an exclusive debate on three farm laws.

Parliament cleared two bills — The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021— during the brief first half that was cut short by two days from its original schedule.

“We still have to go for the second part. I only appeal to the members not to miss any Standing Committee meeting. Please see to it that you attend all the Standing Committee meetings and make contribution also,” Naidu said. Birla, in his speech, said: “49 women MPS participated in the vote of thanks on the President’s address and discussion on the budget”.

NEW DELHI: More than 75% of poor households in India reported a decline in their income as a result of a road traffic crash and the financial loss to them amounted to more than seven months’ household income, while it was equivalent to less than one month’s household income for rich households, a World Bank report released on Saturday stated.

The report titled “Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on Indian Society”, released by union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday, highlights the disproportionate impact of a road crash on poor households that pushes them into a vicious cycle of poverty and debt.

Post-crash impact among low income households is more severe compared to high income households with incidence of fatality among poor households as high as 44% in rural areas compared to 11.6% in urban areas, the report noted. The report also brings out the sharp rural-urban divide and the disproportionate impact on women. About 50% women were severely affected by the decline in their household income after a crash. About 40% of women reported a change in their working patterns post-crash, while around 11% reported taking up extra work to deal with the financial crisis.

“The report is an eyeopener... for the government. Each death is precious, whether it is from a poor family or a rich family. Institutional reforms are very much needed, and it is very important to have a streamlined and robust and accessible legal, insurance and health care ecosystem,” Gadkari said.