3 bills passed without debate in Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha unanimously passed the crucial SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, along with two bills on supplementary demands for 2015- 16, within minutes without any debate on Monday. The House returned to the Lok Sabha the Appropriation (No. 4) Bill and the Appropriat-ion (No. 5) Bill containing the second batch of supplementary demands as part of gran- ts for 201516 to meet government’s expenditure.
The Rajya Sabha unanimously passed the crucial SC and ST ( Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, along with two bills on supplementary demands for 2015- 16, within minutes without any debate on Monday.
The House returned to the Lok Sabha the Appropriation ( No. 4) Bill and the Appropriation ( No. 5) Bill containing the second batch of supplementary demands as part of grants for 2015- 16 to meet government’s expenditure.
Deputy chairman P. J. Kurien took up the SC and ST ( Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2015. This was passed unanimously through a voice vote without any discussion.
There was thumping on the desk as the House passed the bill. Two appropriations bills were also passed in a similar manner without any discussion. TMC leader Derek O’Brien stood up and told the Chair that it was important to mention that the bills were passed unanimously and not in a din.
A smiling Mr Kurien reacted, “How can there be din? There is perfect calm and tranquillity. Everybody is cool. A cool breeze is blowing. I don’t know where this breeze is coming from.”
As minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sought taking up of more bills, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad hit back, saying, “All of us have agreed and I said we will pass bills in the next three days. We had said we will pass the SC/ ST Bill and we have fulfilled our promise.”
Mr Azad said: “We have shown our efficiency, capability and cooperation by passing the three bills in such a short time. We should not be penalised for our efficiency.” Mr Naqvi then stood up and urged the Opposition to “show some more strength”.
The Opposition members argued that it was decided at the all- party meeting that after the passage of the bills, there would be debates on issues like intolerance, floods, price rise and the issue of Arunachal Pradesh, on which there was an agreement.
The Congress received support from CPI( M) leader Sitaram Yechury, who said discussion on these issues should be taken up after the bills have been passed. As Mr Naqvi insisted that more bills be passed today, Congress members came into the aisles and then entered the well, shouting slogans demanding the resignation of the finance minister over alleged bungling in the DDCA. Mr Kurien then adjourned the House till 3 pm.
When the House met again at 3 pm, the government wanted to take up the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill, 2015 but the Congress opposed it, saying it can be discussed on Tuesday.