National

ETV Bharat / bharat

President lauds farm laws, India's COVID fight in Parliament address

By

Published : Jan 29, 2021, 9:46 AM IST

Updated : Jan 29, 2021, 12:55 PM IST

Thumbnail
Thumbnail

12:06 January 29

Prez lauds Art 370 move, beginning of Ram Temple construction

Prez lauds Art 370 move, beginning of Ram Temple construction

"In the past few years, the country has done many such tasks which were once considered very difficult:

After the removal of provisions of Article 370, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have got new rights.

The construction of the grand Ram temple has started after the Supreme Court decision.

With the help of the DBT which was being ignored, more than Rs 13 lakh crore have been transferred to the beneficiaries in the last 6 years.

We once had only two mobile factories. Today India is the second-largest mobile manufacturer in the world," the President said.

President Ram Nath Kovind's joint address to the Parliament has concluded.

12:03 January 29

'India became UNSC non-permanent member'

"India has also entered the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for the eighth time this year, gaining historical global support. India has also assumed the position of President in BRICS for 2021," the President said.

12:00 January 29

Will celebrate Guru Tegh Bahadur's Prakash Parv: President

"We will also celebrate the 400th Prakash Parv of the revered Guru Tegh Bahadur," the President said.

11:56 January 29

Extremism in NE heading towards end: President

"Extremism in the Northeast is heading towards its end, the incidents of violence are declining. The youth that had gone astray is returning to the mainstream of development and nation-building," the President said.

"The rehabilitation of Bru refugees is being carried out peacefully. The historic Bodo peace agreement was also signed and successfully implemented. Bodoland Territorial Council election took place successfully after the agreement," he added.

11:53 January 29

Additional forces deployed at LAC: President

Additional forces deployed at LAC: President

"In June 2020, 20 of our soldiers made the supreme sacrifice in the Galwan Valley to protect the motherland. Every countryman is grateful to these martyrs," the President said.

"My government is fully committed to protecting the interests of the country and is also vigilant. Additional forces have also been deployed to protect India's sovereignty over the LAC," he added.

11:50 January 29

Jammu and Kashmir supported govt's development policy: President

Jammu and Kashmir supported govt's development policy: President

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir have also supported my government's development policy. Only a few weeks ago, for the first time since independence, the Zilla Parishad elections in Jammu and Kashmir were concluded successfully," the President said.

"The participation of a large number of voters has shown that Jammu and Kashmir has moved rapidly towards a new democratic future. The people of the state have been empowered by getting new rights," he added.

11:44 January 29

India has started recovering from damage to economy: President

India has started recovering from damage to economy: President

Amid efforts to save the life of every Indian, the country has started recovering from the damage done to the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in these difficult times, India has emerged as an attractive place for world investors.

11:39 January 29

Earlier govts also tried to build new Parliament complex: President

"Earlier governments also tried to build a new Parliament building. It is a happy coincidence that moving towards the 75th year of independence, our country has started the construction of the new Parliament building. With the formation of new Parliament House, every member will get more facilities to fulfil his parliamentary obligations," the President said.

11:36 January 29

President Kovind on Jal Jeevan Mission

President Kovind said his government is working on an ambitious plan of 'Jal Jeevan Mission'. "Under this, along with delivering every house water, water conservation is also being done at a rapid pace. Under this campaign three crore families have been connected to the pipe water supply so far," he said.

11:34 January 29

President on NEP

Students can now choose subjects according to interest: Prez on NEP

"For the first time in the National Education Policy, the students have been given freedom to choose the subject according to their interest. Youngsters have been given the option to change the subject and stream even in the middle of a course," the President said.

11:32 January 29

Prez lauds PM Kisan Samman Nidhi

"Small and marginal farmers are also a priority for my government. To support such farmers in their small expenses, around Rs 1,13,000 crore have been transferred directly to their accounts, under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi," the President said.

11:26 January 29

President lauds new farm laws

President lauds new farm laws

President Ram Nath Kovind lauded the new farm laws. He stated that the newly introduced three farm laws will empower the farmers.  

"My government wants to make it clear that there will be no reduction in the facilities which farmers had under the old system. Rather, through these agricultural reforms, the government has now given new rights to farmers," he said.

11:24 January 29

Insult of tricolour on R-Day unfortunate: President

Insult of tricolour on R-Day unfortunate: President

"The insult of the tricolour on a holy day like the Republic Day is very unfortunate. The Constitution that gives us the right to freedom of expression, the same Constitution teaches us that the law should be followed seriously," the President said.

11:24 January 29

Govt has implemented Swaminathan Panel report on MSP, says President

"My government had also decided to provide MSP at one-and-a-half times the cost, following the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Today my government is not only purchasing record quantity on MSP but also increasing the number of procurement centres," the President said.

11:18 January 29

India running biggest vaccination programme: President

"It is a matter of pride that India is running the biggest vaccination program in the world. Both vaccines of this program are made in India. In this crisis India shouldered its responsibility towards mankind and provided lakhs of doses of vaccines to several nations," the President said.

11:16 January 29

Rs 31,000 crore transferred to Jan Dhan accounts: President

"Nearly Rs 31,000 crore were also directly transferred to the Jan Dhan accounts of poor women. During this period, more than 14 crore free gas cylinders were also received by the poor women beneficiaries of Ujjwala scheme across the country,"  the President said.

11:12 January 29

Prez lauds PM Garib Kalyan Yojana  

"Through the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana', eight crore people were ensured five kilograms of free food grains per month for eight months. The government also cared for migrant workers, workers and people living away from their homes," the President said.

11:10 January 29

Govt announced record economic package: President

"With the announcement of a record economic package to handle the economy, my government also took care that no poor have to starve," the President said.

11:08 January 29

President on COVID-19

Timely decisions saved millions of lives: Prez on COVID-19

"I am satisfied that due to the timely decisions of my Government, the lives of millions of countrymen have been saved. Today, the number of new coronavirus patients is also decreasing rapidly and the number of people who have been cured of infection is also very high," the President said.

11:05 January 29

President condoles death of Parliament members former Prez Mukherjee

President Ram Nath Kovind condoled the demise of several members of the Parliament and former President Pranab Mukherjee during the COVID-19 pandemic.

11:02 January 29

President Kovind enters Parliament

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have entered the Parliament.

10:56 January 29

President arrives at Parliament

President arrives at Parliament

President Ram Nath Kovind has arrived at the Parliament, where he will address a joint sitting of both the houses to mark the beginning of the Budget Session.

10:50 January 29

President en route Parliament

President leaves Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Ram Nath Kovind has left the Rashtrapati Bhavan and is currently on the way to the Parliament, where he will address a joint sitting of both the houses.

10:43 January 29

Session crucial for the new decade: PM Modi

Addressing the media ahead of the Budget Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this Parliament session will be extremely crucial for the nation and hoped that positive discussions are held for the new decade.

"A golden opportunity has come before the nation to fulfil the dreams seen by the freedom fighters," he added.

10:16 January 29

LS Speakers calls meeting of floor leaders

According to reports, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has called a meeting of floor leaders of the House today afternoon.

10:06 January 29

BSP to also boycott President's address

The Bahujan Samaj Party will boycott the president's address to the joint sitting of both Houses over the Centre's stand on the farmers' demand to repeal the new agri laws and its "dilly-dallying" approach on matters of public interest, the party's chief Mayawati said.

She made the announcement just hours before President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of both Houses, making BSP the 19th party to announce boycott of the address.

A day before the start of the Budget session of Parliament, as many as 18 opposition parties, led by the Congress, the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the TMC, had decided on Thursday to boycott the president's address in solidarity with the farmers protesting against the new farm laws.

While 16 opposition parties issued a joint statement announcing their decision to boycott the president's address, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had also separately announced their decision to boycott the address.

09:29 January 29

Budget session set to be stormy; Oppn to boycott Prez address

New Delhi:The crucial Budget session of Parliament is set for a stormy start with as many as 18 opposition parties announcing their decision to boycott the President's address to a joint sitting of both houses on Friday, in solidarity with the farmers agitating against the three contentious farm laws.

The session is also likely to witness acrimonious scenes, with the opposition all set to corner the government on issues like recession, job losses, handling of COVID crisis, LAC stand-off with China and the WhatsApp chat leaks of Arnab Goswami.

Alleging that the farm laws have been pushed by the BJP government without a national consensus, the opposition parties announced their decision on Thursday to boycott the President's address, a move termed as "most unfortunate" by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi.

To seek the cooperation of various parties for the smooth functioning of the Budget session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has convened a meeting of all political parties on Friday which is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The session will begin with the President's address followed by the presentation of the Economic Survey.

The Union Budget will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. Both the houses will also debate on the Motion of thanks to the President's address after the budget presentation.

The session will be held in two parts --January 29 to February 15 and March 8 to April 8 and will have a total of 33 sittings.

Read:'Govt shouldn't ignore farmers' demands under guise of Red Fort incident'

With the session starting barely days after the national capital witnessed unprecedented violence on Republic Day during the farmers' tractor parade, the issue is expected to echo in Parliament.

A total of 18 Opposition parties including the Congress, the NCP, Shiv Sena, DMK, Trinamool Congress, CPI, CPI-M and RJD and some other parties have announced that they would boycott the President's address.

There are over 20 opposition parties in Parliament.

Joshi has appealed to all the parties to reconsider their decision to boycott, saying the President is above party politics.

He also claimed that the BJP has never boycotted the President's address when it was in the opposition, and said the issues raised by the opposition parties can be raised during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address.

The parties that will boycott the President's address are --the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, National Conference, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, Indian Union Muslim League, RSP, Peoples Democratic Party, MDMK, Kerala Congress (M) and the All India United Democratic Front.

The Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party also separately announced their decision of boycotting the address.

Read:Prez to address budget session without major opposition parties

"The Prime Minister and the BJP government remain arrogant, adamant and undemocratic in their response. Shocked by this insensitivity of the government, the opposition political parties, reaffirming the collective demand for the repeal of the anti-farmer laws and in solidarity with the Indian farmers, have decided to boycott the President''s address to both the houses of Parliament...," a joint statement issued by 16 parties said on Thursday.

The statement was released by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Azad alleged that the Opposition is against the manner in which the three bills were passed in Parliament after rules and regulations were "thrown in the dustbin".

The parties have alleged that the farm bills were brought without any consultations with states and farmer unions, and lacked national consensus.

"Parliamentary scrutiny was bypassed and the laws were pushed through muzzling the Opposition, in brazen violation of Parliamentary rules, practices and conventions. The very constitutional validity of these laws remains in question," they said, adding that the laws are an assault on the rights of the states and violate the federal spirit of the Constitution.

Terming the boycott as "unprecedented", CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said, "tomorrow in all likelihood, only the ruling party will be in attendance. This an indication to the degree to which our institutions are being destroyed. It is a sorry state of affairs for parliamentary democracy."

It is after almost six months that the Parliament will be convened, as the Winter session could not be held due to the COVID pandemic.

With a view to have a paperless Budget, all the documents and the Economic Survey would be made available online soon after the authenticated copies are laid on the Table of the House, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has said.

This session will be held as per COVID-19 protocols, with Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha meeting in shifts of five hours each -- with the upper house meeting from 9 AM to 2 PM and the lower house in the evening from 3 PM to 8 PM.

Read:Finance Minister Sitharaman to table Economic Survey 2020-21 today

This is also the first time when the members of both the Houses will be seated in three different locations - chambers of both houses and the Central Hall.

The Question Hour, which could not take place during the Monsoon session, has also made a comeback in this session. The Monsoon session also saw the two Houses working on Saturdays and Sundays. But this time, Parliament will not sit on weekends.

Private Members' business, which usually takes place on Friday afternoons, will also be part of the Budget session, according to the Lok Sabha secretariat. In the previous session, the Private Members'' business was not taken up.

During the session, the government will also push to convert ordinances issued recently into laws. An ordinance has to be converted into a law within 42 days of the beginning of the session, else it lapses.

The ordinances issued recently include The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020, The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 and The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.

(PTI Report)

Last Updated : Jan 29, 2021, 12:55 PM IST

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

...view details