Highlights
NEW DELHI: “Demolition of homes due to protests” in some parts of the country, reservation of jobs for ‘Agniveers’ in paramilitary forces, riots and police firings are a host of subjects expected to be raised by MPs in the monsoon session of Parliament beginning Monday.
According to the tentative list of questions related to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, issues like attacks on Kashmiri Pandits and migrant workers in the Kashmir Valley, safety of RTI activists, status of Census 2021 and details of cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act would be raised by the parliamentarians.
The “demolition of homes due to protests” is listed as a starred question in the Rajya Sabha. In a starred question, the MPs are allowed to ask supplementary questions during the ‘Question Hour’, while unstarred questions are those whose replies come from the government as written answers.
There were several incidents, including in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, where homes of those allegedly involved in violent protests were demolished by authorities over claims that these were built illegally and there were irregularities in land documents.
Though “Reservation for Agniveers in paramilitary forces” has been marked as an unstarred question, the issue is likely be raised by the opposition strongly orally too.
The Centre on June 14 had unveiled the ambitious ‘Agnipath’ scheme for the recruitment of youths aged between 17 and a half and 21 in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.
Those recruited under the scheme will be known as ‘Agniveers’. After the completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each batch will be offered regular service. There have been protests against the scheme. The Union Home Ministry had announced that 10 per cent » The “demolition of homes due to protests” is listed as a starred question in the Rajya Sabha
» In a starred question, the MPs are allowed to ask supplementary questions during the ‘Question Hour’
» Unstarred questions are those whose replies come from the government as written answers
vacancies for recruitment in the Central Armed Police Forces or the paramilitary forces will be reserved for ‘Agniveers’.
Issues like compensation provided to the families of the paramilitary personnel, attacks carried out by the Naxals, riots, curfews and police firings, smuggling of drugs and narcotics from across the border, incidents of terror attacks are expected to be raised during the monsoon session. Wait for appointment in paramilitary forces, incidents of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, loss of lives and properties due to heavy rains, unemployment crisis in the Union Territory of Ladakh and land acquired in Jammu and Kashmir are some other issues listed as tentative questions for the session.
Meanwhile, the top Congress leaders met here on Thursday to discuss the party’s strategy for the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. The meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Strategy Committee group chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi lasted for an hour during which the leaders decided on issues to be raised during the session.
“We have decided to give priority to issues of LPG and price rise that affect the common people,” senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters after the meeting.
“We will also raise the issue of Agnipath scheme of army recruitment in the upcoming session,” he said.
Among other issues to be raised include unemployment, besides the falling value of the Rupee and the economic situation in the country.