In her reply to the Union Budget debate in Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) saying the party which takes pride on being rooted in the grassroots now symbolises harassment and denial of rights to people living at the grassroot level. Accusing TMC of corruption, she said the party has become a by-word for exploitation. She also pointed out complaints of irregularities in PMAY-G implementation, 25 lakh fake job cards in MNREGA, Rs 100 crore mid-day meal fraud and blocking of Ayushman Bharat scheme in West Bengal. The FM said Bengal's per capita income growth lags behind the national average for 20 years.
Parliament Session Live | Inflation Trend Appears To Be Moderating: FM Sitharaman In Address To Lok Sabha On Budget 2025-26
Speaker Om Birla conducts proceedings in the Lok Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament (PTI)
Published : Feb 11, 2025, 10:58 AM IST
|Updated : Feb 11, 2025, 7:55 PM IST
The eighth day of the budget session of Parliament began at 11 am on Tuesday. A general discussion on the Union Budget for 2025-2026 was held in both houses of parliament. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman replied to the discussion in Lok Sabha today. She is likely to table the New Income Tax Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the bill on Friday. This new legislation aims to replace the six-decade-old Income Tax Act of 1961, simplifying direct tax laws, removing ambiguities, and reducing litigation.
Baramulla MP Rashid Engineer attended the Parliament session today after being granted two days of custody parole. The Budget Session of Parliament began on January 31 with President Droupadi Murmu's address. The first part of the session will conclude on February 13, while the second part will run from March 10 to April 4.
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Parliament Budget Session Live | FM Slams TMC, Says Party Symbolises Denial Of Rights To Grassroot People
Parliament Budget Session Live | Money Not Denied For Capital Expenditure Accounts: FM Sitharaman
In her reply to the Union Budget debate in the Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government plans to utilise 99 percent of borrowed resources in capital expenditure for financial year 2025-26. As per sectoral outlays, agriculture has been given Rs 1.71 lakh crore, rural development 2.67 lakh crore, urban development and transport Rs 6.45 lakh crore, health and education Rs 2.27 lakh crore, defence (excluding defence pension) Rs 4.92 lakh crore. "I want to highlight that money is not being denied to any of the capital expenditure accounts," Sitharaman said.
She said the stagnation in GDP, inflation, conflict in Middle East, Russia-Ukraine war has emerged a situation that should encourage free trade. "We are seeing no restriction and are strongly vouch for globalisation. We need fiscal prudence and we are witnessing rising debts," she added.
The Finance Minister said 45 percent of households did not have LPG connection till 2014 but now clean cooking fuel has been made available to nearly 100 percent of households. Also, 10.3 crore people are getting LPG cylinder for Rs 503, she added.
Sitharaman said BSNL has been given Rs 69000 crore in 2019, Rs 1.64 lakh crore in 2022 and Rs 89047 crore in 2023 to set up 50,000 4G sites in the country.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Finance Minister Addressing Lok Sabha
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is speaking in Lok Sabha on Budget 2025-26. Here are some of the remarks she has made so far:
- The world's scenario in the last 10 years turned 180 degrees; making Budget is more challenging than ever before.
- Inflation trend, particularly food, appear to be moderating.
- Budget balances national development necessities with fiscal priorities.
- Government using 99 pc borrowings for capital expenditure, which is 4.3 pc of GDP.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Average Tax Under GST Dipped From 15.8 Per Cent To 11.3 Per Cent: FM Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that indirect tax under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has significantly reduced over the years since its implementation. She stated that the average tax under the previous indirect tax regime was 15.8 per cent, under GST it has now come down to 11.3 per cent.
Responding to a question raised by Trinamool MP Nadimul Haque, Sitharaman highlighted the reduction in GST rates over time.
She said "Earlier the tax levied on everyday item 15.8 per cent tax could have been levied without additionally burdening the buyer, consumer. If that was the rate at which the GST rates were brought in, today... the rate has come down to 11.3 per cent. That is the level of reduction of rates which have happened in the GST Council," Sitharaman said.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Biren Singh Stepped Down Due To Congress' No-confidence Motion: KC Venugopal
On the resignation of Manipur CM N Biren Singh, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said the no-confidence motion moved by Congress coupled with the situation created in the Supreme Court has expedited Singh's resignation. "Manipur has been burning for the last 20 months. So many people have lost their lives, so many properties have been destroyed. People from one area within a state cannot go to another area. This is the pathetic condition of the state in our country... Now due to the no-confidence motion brought by the Congress party and the situation created in the Supreme Court, he (N Biren Singh) had to resign from the post of Chief Minister..." he told news agency ANI.
Parliament Budget Session Live | An Accident Doens't Make Maha Kumbh A Failure: BJP MP Hema Malini
On the Samajwadi Party raising questions over arrangements made for Maha Kumbh, BJP MP Hema Malini said, "Many people are going to Mahakumbh before 26th February. Everything is very organised, everybody is praising it. An accident occurred but that does not mean the Kumbh is a failure. Everything there is very well managed by Yogi ji."
Parliament Budget Session Live | Engineer Rashid Raises Issue Of Civilian Deaths In J&K
During the Zero Hour discussion, Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid, who is out on a two-day parole, demanded a "full investigation" into the recent death of two civilians in Jammu and Kashmir. He claimed that two, persons Wasim Ahmad Mir and Makhan Din, were killed "allegedly by forces" and demanded a full investigation into the matter. "Hamara khoon sasta nahin hain (our blood is not cheap)," he said.
Parliament Budget Session Live | FM To Reply On Budget At 5 PM
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her reply to the general discussion on the Union Budget 2025-26 at 5 pm.
Parliament Budget Session Live | SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav Says Union Budget Focused On Very Rich People
Speaking in Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says "This budget is a targeted budget, this budget is focused for those who are very rich, big people, industrialists. This budget is made for them. I do not see any roadmap in it to make India a developed nation and the roadmap is not visible because as soon as the budget came, we saw those pictures. Were the 10 budgets made for this country only so that when the 11th budget comes, the whole country and the whole world will see that the people of India were sent back with handcuffs..."
Parliament Budget Session Live | Shiv Sena MP Raises Issue Of YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s Offensive Comments
In Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske raised the issue of YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s offensive comments, said the government should evolve guidelines for content on such programmes on social media.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Engineer Rashid Attends Lok Sabha For First Time Since Election
Baramulla MP Rashid Engineer attended the Parliament session today after being granted two days of custody parole. This is the first time Rashid attended the Lok Sabha since his election.
Parliament Budget Session Live | LS Speaker Hold Talks With Parliamentary Delegation From Maldives
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla held talks with the Parliamentary delegation from Maldives led by Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People’s Majlis of Maldives.
The speaker recalled his meeting with his Maldives counterpart Abdul Raheem Abdulla in Geneva in October last year at the IPU Assembly. Om Birla said that India and Maldives have centuries-old cultural, economic and trade relations.
"Maldives is not only a friendly neighbour of India but is also an important pillar of our 'Neighbourhood First' policy and 'Vision Sagar'," said Lok Sabha Speaker.
Om Birla noted that India is celebrating the completion of 75 years of its Constitution and this time a special discussion was also organised in Parliament.
The Lok Sabha Speaker informed the delegation about the digital technology adopted by the Parliament of India in its functioning. The Members and officers of the People’s Majlis of Maldives have been receiving training at the PRIDE Institute of the Indian Parliament. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Parliaments of the two countries in this regard.
Parliament Budget Session Live | DMK Objects To Simultaneous Interpretation Of LS Proceedings In Sanskrit; Speaker Hits Back
DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran on Tuesday alleged that taxpayers' money was being wasted by providing simultaneous interpretation of Lok Sabha proceedings in Sanskrit due to RSS ideology, prompting Speaker Om Birla to hit back saying Sanskrit has been the primary language of India.
A visibly upset Birla said simultaneous interpretation of House proceedings was not limited to Sanskrit alone but other recognised languages too.
"Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Hindi and Sanskrit," Birla said.
Soon after the Question Hour concluded, Birla said he was happy to announce that six more languages -- Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Sanskrit and Urdu -- have been included in the list of languages in which simultaneous interpretation was available for members.
He said besides English and Hindi, simultaneous interpretation is available in Assamese, Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malyali, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu.
When Birla made the announcement, DMK members started raising slogans prompting the Speaker to ask Maran what his "problem" was.
Maran said while he welcomed simultaneous interpretation of official state languages, he had objections to Sanskrit interpretation as it was "not communicable".
He cited the 2011 population survey to claim that Sanskrit was spoken by 73,000 people. "Why should taxpayers' money be wasted because of RSS ideology," he said.
Birla hit back, asking the DMK member which country he was residing in.
"This is Bharat and its primary language has been Sanskrit. I said 22 languages, not Sanskrit alone. Why do you object to Sanskrit. There are 22 recognised languages in Parliament. Simultaneous interpretation will take place in Hindi as well as Sanskrit," he asserted.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Discussion On Budget Resumes In Rajya Sabha
General Discussion on the Union Budget, 2025-26 continues in Rajya Sabha.
Parliament Budget Session Live | 'BJP Is A Party That Murders Constitution Every Day,' TMC MP Sagarika Ghosh
"... BJP is a party which murders the constitution every day. States are not being given money, the PM does not answer a single question in the house, and he does not move ahead with the opposition. The intent is clear, they want to put an end to the Constitution... We will not let that happen. We will save the constitution..," said TMC MP Sagarika Ghosh.
Parliament Budget Session Live | MVA MP's Protest In Support Of Soyaben Farmers
Maha Vikas Aghadi MPs stage a protest at Makar Dwar in support of Soyaben farmers
Parliament Budget Session Live | Six Languages Added To Translation Services Of Proceedings
"I am feeling very happy to announce that simultaneous interpretation of the House proceedings was available in 10 languages - Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu - apart from Hindi and English. We have now included six more languages - Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Sanskrit and Urdu," Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced today.
Parliament Budget Session Live | 'Only Authentic Version Of Constitution Be Promulgated,' Says RS Chairman
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said the signed copy of the Constitution by its framers carrying 22 miniatures is the only authentic copy and can only include amendments by Parliament, and the same should be promulgated in the country.
Any violation should be taken seriously by the government and severe action taken, he added.
"I have no doubt and I am categorical, the Constitution signed by the founding fathers of the Constitution, carrying 22 miniatures, is the only authentic one and it can include amendments by the Parliament. If there is any change effected by judiciary or any institution, it is not acceptable to this House.
"I will appeal to the leader of the House to ensure that in the country, only the authentic version of the Indian Constitution be promulgated. Any violation of this should be taken quite seriously by the government and severe action taken," Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said in the House.
The Chairman was responding to the issue raised by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal during the Zero Hour in the House that 22 illustrations are missing in most copies of the Constitution sold in the country today.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise an issue, but was not allowed to speak further. He alleged that the BJP was unnecessarily raising the issue to create a controversy to defame B R Ambedkar.
Later, the Congress members staged a walkout from the House.
Leader of the House J P Nadda wondered what objection does the Congress have on the issue and they should have supported it.
"It is unfortunate that the Congress leader is trying to seek advantage of the issue by making it political by alleging that attempts are being made to defame Ambedkar and this should be expunged," he said, adding that the publishers should publish the Constitution keeping in view the spirit of the framers.
Nadda said the copies of Constitution being published by publishers do not have the illustrations.
He further said the government will ensure publishers publish copies depicting spirit of Constitution and only those are available in the market.
The Chairman later said this was an extremely serious issue as the 22 illustrations carry the depiction of India's 5,000 year old tradition and heritage.
"A very valid issue has come to the attention of the Council of States. Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal has rightly pointed out that the act of omission or commission, either on our ipads or any book, without carrying the 22 miniatures of the Constitution of which Dr B R Ambedkar is the architect and signed by our founding fathers.
"And the only variation. The only change that can take place in the Indian Constitution can emanate only from the Indian Parliament and any change emanating from the Indian Parliament duly signed by the President must invariably find mention in the Indian Constitution, irrespective of any intervention from the judiciary or otherwise," he said.
Raising the issue, Agarwal had pointed out that the 22 illustrations included pictures of Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Mahavir, Samrat Vikramaditya , Lakshmi Bai, Shivaji and Mahatma Gandhi, but they have been removed.
Parliament Budget Session Live | 'Government Conspired To Change Constitution,' Alleges Congress MP
"The government conspired to change the Constitution and its copies given to MPs. They have insulted Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. All INDIA bloc parties have decided that we will save the constitution and not let the government insult Babasaheb Ambedkar and that is why we have staged a walkout...," said Congress MP Pramod Tiwari,
Parliament Budget Session Live | Rajya Sabha Welcomes Delegation From Maldives Parliament
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar welcomes a parliamentary delegation from the Maldives led by Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the country’s Parliament
Parliament Budget Session Live | All Questions Raised In House Are Of National Importance: Speaker To BJP's Rudy
All questions asked in the House are of "national importance", Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla told BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Tuesday after the latter sought to ask a question on fishery by describing it as one related to national importance.
When Birla asked Rudy to raise the first query in the Question Hour, he observed that the BJP member's turn came after a long time.
While asking a question on fishery development in Bihar, Rudy wondered if Birla consumed fish. Birla shot back saying he didn't, as he was a vegetarian.
Asking a supplementary question on the same subject, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said when JD(U)'s Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh was not a minister, he used to ask when he will be treated with Hilsa (a variety of fish).
Speaker Birla asked Banerjee to focus on the question
Parliament Budget Session Live | Bihar BJP MP Raises Plight Of Fishermen In Lok Sabha
BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy raised concerns about the provisions being made for fishermen in Bihar questioning why they have not received incentives in recent years. In response, Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh stated that India is now the second-largest fish producer in the world. He also noted that during the three-month fishing ban period, which is implemented to allow for fish reproduction, the government provides financial assistance to fishermen. Under this scheme, a total of ₹4,500 is distributed, with ₹1,500 contributed by the Centre, ₹1,500 from the state government, and ₹1,500 from the beneficiaries themselves.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Lok Sabha Welcomes Delegation From Maldives Parliament
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla welcomed the delegation from the Maldives Parliament.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Adjournment Motion To Discuss Political Situation In Manipur
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury files an Adjournment Motion in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the political situation in Manipur.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Adjournment Motion To Discuss Deportation Of Indian Citizens From US
Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari gives an Adjournment Motion in the Lok Sabha to discuss the issue of the deportation of Indian citizens from the United States and the response of the Government of India on the matter.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Proceedings Begin In Both Houses
Proceedings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha began at 11 am.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Engineer Rashid taken for medical check-up en route to Parliament
A day after the Delhi High Court granted two-day custody parole to jailed J-K MP Rashid Engineer to attend the Budget session of Parliament, the Baramulla lawmaker was taken to the RML Hospital under police security on Tuesday morning for a routine health check-up, Tihar jail sources said.
Rashid, who has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 in a terror-funding case, had sought interim bail or custody parole to represent his constituency in Lok Sabha.
"He will be taken to Parliament from the hospital," the sources said.
Rashid's parole is saddled with certain riders, including not using a cellphone or internet, or addressing the media or any person except to his limited responsibility as an MP.
The Baramulla MP is facing allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
Parliament Budget Session Live | Adjournment Motion To Discuss Safety Of Women Passengers In Trains
Congress MP Manickam Tagore gives a Motion for the Adjournment of the Business of the House in the Lok Sabha, to the issue of safety of women passengers in trains. "That this House do now adjourn to discuss a matter of urgent public importance, namely, the growing concern over the safety of women passengers in trains, as evidenced by the recent horrific incident of a pregnant woman being thrown out of the Coimbatore-Tirupati Intercity Express train after resisting an attempted rape, and to request the Railway Minister to take immediate and effective measures to ensure the safety and security of all passengers, particularly women, during their journey by train."
Last Updated : Feb 11, 2025, 7:55 PM IST