The Congress has accused the government of delaying the winter session of Parliament &ldquo;without ascribing any justification for doing so&rdquo; and approached President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to direct the Centre to summon the Houses at the earliest.

The Congress Parliamentary Party, in its November 21, 2017, letter to the President, claimed that not convening the Parliament session on time would set an &ldquo;unhealthy precedent&rdquo;. The party accused the NDA government of delaying the session &ldquo;without ascribing any justification for doing so&ldquo;.

It claimed that the apparent reason informally mentioned by the government for &ldquo;delaying&rdquo; the session is the Gujarat Assembly election. The Congress argued that the session was convened &ldquo;as per the established practice and convention&rdquo; and not the poll schedule.

The letter was signed by the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress&rsquo; leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party&rsquo;s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, its chief whip in the Lower House Jyotiraditya Scindia and whip Deependra Hooda.

They also reiterated the party&rsquo;s allegation that the government was avoiding facing Parliament and answering questions on its &ldquo;flawed and unpopular&rdquo; policies an &ldquo;rampant corruption&rdquo;.

&ldquo;We seek to draw your attention to the inordinate delay by the government in convening the Winter Session of Parliament without ascribing any justification for doing so,&rdquo; they said in the letter.

The leaders said the 2012 Assembly polls in the State were held on December 13 and December 17. Parliament session, however, was duly convened on November 22 &ldquo;as per practice&rdquo; and adjourned on December 20 of that year.

&ldquo;It is also pertinent to mention, that Winter Session is preceded by the longest inter-session break after the Monsoon Session vis-?is all other inter-session breaks. Thus, not convening of Winter Session on time will set an unhealthy precedent,&rdquo; they added.

Claiming the government was avoiding facing questions on the floor of the Houses, the leaders said it was a &ldquo;matter of serious concern&rdquo; that the members of Parliament were allegedly being denied timely opportunity to discharge their duties.

&ldquo;It also undermines the institution of Parliament itself and calls for honorable president&rsquo;s urgent intervention as the custodian of the Constitution,&rdquo; they said.

The Congress has accused the government of delaying the winter session of Parliament ?without ascribing any justification for doing so? and approached President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to direct the Centre to summon the Houses at the earliest

The Congress has accused the government of delaying the winter session of Parliament “without ascribing any justification for doing so” and approached President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to direct the Centre to summon the Houses at the earliest. The Congress Parliamentary Party, in its November 21, 2017, letter to the President, claimed that not convening the Parliament session on time would set an “unhealthy precedent”. The party accused the NDA government of delaying the session “without ascribing any justification for doing so“. It claimed that the apparent reason informally mentioned by the government for “delaying” the session is the Gujarat Assembly election. The Congress argued that the session was convened “as per the established practice and convention” and not the poll schedule. The letter was signed by the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress’ leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, its chief whip in the Lower House Jyotiraditya Scindia and whip Deependra Hooda. They also reiterated the party’s allegation that the government was avoiding facing Parliament and answering questions on its “flawed and unpopular” policies an “rampant corruption”. “We seek to draw your attention to the inordinate delay by the government in convening the Winter Session of Parliament without ascribing any justification for doing so,” they said in the letter. The leaders said the 2012 Assembly polls in the State were held on December 13 and December 17. Parliament session, however, was duly convened on November 22 “as per practice” and adjourned on December 20 of that year. “It is also pertinent to mention, that Winter Session is preceded by the longest inter-session break after the Monsoon Session vis-?is all other inter-session breaks. Thus, not convening of Winter Session on time will set an unhealthy precedent,” they added. Claiming the government was avoiding facing questions on the floor of the Houses, the leaders said it was a “matter of serious concern” that the members of Parliament were allegedly being denied timely opportunity to discharge their duties. “It also undermines the institution of Parliament itself and calls for honorable president’s urgent intervention as the custodian of the Constitution,” they said.

Congress urges President to direct government to convene Parliament

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-openly-extending-support-to-congress-in-gujarat-elections-hardik-patel-24806">On the eve of Gujarat polls</a>, Centre is set to reintroduce a Bill to grant Constitutional Status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) in the winter session of Parliament to begin on December 15th.

The Bill, when enacted, will not only make the NCBC a Constitutional body, but will also empower the NCBC to hear complaints of OBCs, protect their interests and safeguard their rights. The Bill&rsquo;s focus is to address social inequality and protect the rights of OBCs. It was approved by the Union Cabinet and passed by the Lok Sabha in the last monsoon session.

In response to persistent and long felt demand from all categories of Other Backward Classes, the Centre, in the last Parliament session had introduced a Bill to grant Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes, on par with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The National Commission for Backward Classes, a statutory body created in 1993, was given limited powers. It could only recommend to the government inclusion or exclusion of a community in the Central list of OBCs.&nbsp;

The power to hear complaints of OBCs and protect their interests continued to be with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. &nbsp;Since the National Commission for Scheduled Castes is dealing with grievances and safeguards of SCs as well as OBCs it has limited capacity to address the grievances of OBCs.

During the same session, in the Rajya Sabha, while the proposal was generally supported and most members welcomed the grant of constitutional status to the NCBC, the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed with certain amendments.

One amendment sought to increase the number of members of the proposed commission from three to five with reservation for a member from a minority community and another for women. Another amendment was about protecting the rights of states by making their recommendations binding.

It was clarified by the government that the proposed constitution of the NCBC and its powers and functions is on similar lines as the National Commissions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and there is no infringement of the rights of the states. The issue of ensuring diversity in the Commission is more appropriately addressed in the rules. Therefore, the proposed amendments would only delay the process of passing the Bill.

In spite of these clarifications, the amendments were passed, and granting of Constitutional status to the NCBC was delayed.

The Bill will now have to be sent to the Lok Sabha again, since the two houses have passed two different versions of the Bill.

. The Bill?s focus is to address social inequality and protect the rights of OBCs

On the eve of Gujarat polls, Centre is set to reintroduce a Bill to grant Constitutional Status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) in the winter session of Parliament to begin on December 15th. The Bill, when enacted, will not only make the NCBC a Constitutional body, but will also empower the NCBC to hear complaints of OBCs, protect their interests and safeguard their rights. The Bill’s focus is to address social inequality and protect the rights of OBCs. It was approved by the Union Cabinet and passed by the Lok Sabha in the last monsoon session. In response to persistent and long felt demand from all categories of Other Backward Classes, the Centre, in the last Parliament session had introduced a Bill to grant Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes, on par with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The National Commission for Backward Classes, a statutory body created in 1993, was given limited powers. It could only recommend to the government inclusion or exclusion of a community in the Central list of OBCs. The power to hear complaints of OBCs and protect their interests continued to be with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Since the National Commission for Scheduled Castes is dealing with grievances and safeguards of SCs as well as OBCs it has limited capacity to address the grievances of OBCs. During the same session, in the Rajya Sabha, while the proposal was generally supported and most members welcomed the grant of constitutional status to the NCBC, the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed with certain amendments. One amendment sought to increase the number of members of the proposed commission from three to five with reservation for a member from a minority community and another for women. Another amendment was about protecting the rights of states by making their recommendations binding. It was clarified by the government that the proposed constitution of the NCBC and its powers and functions is on similar lines as the National Commissions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and there is no infringement of the rights of the states. The issue of ensuring diversity in the Commission is more appropriately addressed in the rules. Therefore, the proposed amendments would only delay the process of passing the Bill. In spite of these clarifications, the amendments were passed, and granting of Constitutional status to the NCBC was delayed. The Bill will now have to be sent to the Lok Sabha again, since the two houses have passed two different versions of the Bill.

Ahead of Gujarat polls, Centre to move National Commission for Backward Classes Bill again in Lok Sabha

BJP president Amit Shah today took oath as the member of the Rajya Sabha, making his debut in Parliament. 
His party colleague, Union minister Smriti Iran, also took oath as the member of the Upper House. 
While Shah took his pledge in Hindi, Irani took hers in Sanskrit. 
Both the leaders, accompanied by their spouses, were administered the oath in Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu&#39;s chamber. 
The two leaders, who were elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat earlier this month, were accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad among others. 
Shah sat for a few minutes with his party colleagues in the BJP office in Parliament. 
After the oath, he and his wife called on BJP veteran leader L K Advani at his residence to seek his blessings, party leaders said.

Both the leaders, accompanied by their spouses, were administered the oath in Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's chamber

BJP president Amit Shah today took oath as the member of the Rajya Sabha, making his debut in Parliament. His party colleague, Union minister Smriti Iran, also took oath as the member of the Upper House. While Shah took his pledge in Hindi, Irani took hers in Sanskrit. Both the leaders, accompanied by their spouses, were administered the oath in Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's chamber. The two leaders, who were elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat earlier this month, were accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad among others. Shah sat for a few minutes with his party colleagues in the BJP office in Parliament. After the oath, he and his wife called on BJP veteran leader L K Advani at his residence to seek his blessings, party leaders said.

Amit Shah and Smriti Irani took oath as the member of Rajya Sabha

The Opposition will most likely move two privilege motions against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the Rajya Sabha today.

The motions will be moved against her over two issues - misinformation on Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Lahore visit in 2015 and the Bandung Conference.

Congress leader Anand Sharma questioned Prime Minister Modi&#39;s foreign policy and asked the Centre its roadmap on dealing with Pakistan.

Flagging its concern over the deteriorating ties between both the nations, Sharma asked why Prime Minister Modi made that &quot;dramatic&quot; visit to Pakistan and why, till date, nobody knows the minutae of the meeting.

&quot;You were going to Afghanistan and got down at Lahore mid-way; till date the Prime Minister hasn&#39;t told the nation what talks took place. On one hand, you get miffed and cancel talks after Pakistan invites separatists on a tea party, and on the other hand, you make a dramatic visit breaching all protocols,&quot; he said.

In December 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had &quot;unexpectedly&quot;&nbsp;landed in Lahore to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his way back home after a day-long trip today to Afghanistan which took place after he concluded a two-day visit to Russia. The Congress also warned Sushma over keeping two different and distinct views on the China issue and said that when it comes to Beijing, India should speak in one voice, there will be no two opinions on that.

Anand Sharma said, &quot;Let me remind Sushma Swaraj that out of courtesy we did not interrupt. What I had said catering to the Congress Party is concerned; we are very clear that we stand with the government as one. When it comes to China issue; India shall speak in one voice - there will be no two opinions on that. Sushma Swaraj should not have tried to break that opposition consensus and unity. When India is united why is the government keen on creating a division and breaking the consensus.

&quot;This happened after Sushma, in the Rajya Sabha, said that India has taken efforts to ease the stand-off with China. She further stated that war cannot resolve the problems and that the wisdom is to resolve issues diplomatically on the issue of border stand-off with China.The Centre and the Opposition engaged in another verbal duel in the Rajya Sabha over India&#39;s statement at the last Bandung Conference in Indonesia.

A combative External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also asserted that she felt proud when she attended the Bandung Conference and saw large pictures of Nehru at the venue, when Anand Sharma alleged that first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru`s name was omitted from the address delivered by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh at the 60th anniversary of Bandung Conference.Sushma said the speech which Sharma was referring to was delivered at another Afro-Asian Conference held separately.Nehru was one of the founder members of the Bandung Conference founded in 1955.

(ANI)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The Opposition will most likely move two privilege motions against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the Rajya Sabha today. The motions will be moved against her over two issues - misinformation on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lahore visit in 2015 and the Bandung Conference.

The Opposition will most likely move two privilege motions against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the Rajya Sabha today. The motions will be moved against her over two issues - misinformation on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lahore visit in 2015 and the Bandung Conference. Congress leader Anand Sharma questioned Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy and asked the Centre its roadmap on dealing with Pakistan. Flagging its concern over the deteriorating ties between both the nations, Sharma asked why Prime Minister Modi made that "dramatic" visit to Pakistan and why, till date, nobody knows the minutae of the meeting. "You were going to Afghanistan and got down at Lahore mid-way; till date the Prime Minister hasn't told the nation what talks took place. On one hand, you get miffed and cancel talks after Pakistan invites separatists on a tea party, and on the other hand, you make a dramatic visit breaching all protocols," he said. In December 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "unexpectedly" landed in Lahore to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his way back home after a day-long trip today to Afghanistan which took place after he concluded a two-day visit to Russia. The Congress also warned Sushma over keeping two different and distinct views on the China issue and said that when it comes to Beijing, India should speak in one voice, there will be no two opinions on that. Anand Sharma said, "Let me remind Sushma Swaraj that out of courtesy we did not interrupt. What I had said catering to the Congress Party is concerned; we are very clear that we stand with the government as one. When it comes to China issue; India shall speak in one voice - there will be no two opinions on that. Sushma Swaraj should not have tried to break that opposition consensus and unity. When India is united why is the government keen on creating a division and breaking the consensus. "This happened after Sushma, in the Rajya Sabha, said that India has taken efforts to ease the stand-off with China. She further stated that war cannot resolve the problems and that the wisdom is to resolve issues diplomatically on the issue of border stand-off with China.The Centre and the Opposition engaged in another verbal duel in the Rajya Sabha over India's statement at the last Bandung Conference in Indonesia. A combative External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also asserted that she felt proud when she attended the Bandung Conference and saw large pictures of Nehru at the venue, when Anand Sharma alleged that first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru`s name was omitted from the address delivered by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh at the 60th anniversary of Bandung Conference.Sushma said the speech which Sharma was referring to was delivered at another Afro-Asian Conference held separately.Nehru was one of the founder members of the Bandung Conference founded in 1955. (ANI)

Opposition to move two privilege motions against Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha today

The BJP on Thursday overtook Congress to become the largest political party in the Rajya Sabha, where it now has 58 members against 57 of the main opposition party

BJP MP Sampatiya Uikey, who was elected to the Upper House following a bypoll in Madhya Pradesh took oath on Thursday

His election was necessitated by the death of Union Minster, Anil Madhav Dave

This is the first time that the saffron party has become the number one formation in the RS after the Narendra Modi government came to power in May 2014

The BJP-led NDA, however, is still short of a decisive majority in the house but the joining of JD(U) to the ruling block has further boosted its numbers.

This is the first time that the saffron party has become the number one formation in the RS after the Narendra Modi government came to power in May 2014

The BJP on Thursday overtook Congress to become the largest political party in the Rajya Sabha, where it now has 58 members against 57 of the main opposition party BJP MP Sampatiya Uikey, who was elected to the Upper House following a bypoll in Madhya Pradesh took oath on Thursday His election was necessitated by the death of Union Minster, Anil Madhav Dave This is the first time that the saffron party has become the number one formation in the RS after the Narendra Modi government came to power in May 2014 The BJP-led NDA, however, is still short of a decisive majority in the house but the joining of JD(U) to the ruling block has further boosted its numbers.

BJP overtakes Congress to become largest party in Rajya Sabha

India&#39;s former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar who was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 2012 made a rare appearance in the Upper House today. He had another sportsperson Mary Kom to give him company.

During the last Rajya Sabha session Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sp-targets-tendulkar-rekha-over-poor-attendance-in-rajya-sabha-13976">Naresh Chandra Agrawal had raised objections over Tendulkar&#39;s continued absence</a> from India&#39;s Upper House.

Agrawal had said Tendulkar should resign from the House as his attendance was very low. Tendulkar&#39;s attendance in India&#39;s Upper House is less than 6 per cent, according to a survey.

In fact, Tendulkar has never participated in any debate in the House. Sachin has asked only two questions, the first one in 2015, almost three years after his appointment.&nbsp;

Sachin has asked only two questions, the first one in 2015, almost three years after his appointment.?

India's former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar who was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 2012 made a rare appearance in the Upper House today. He had another sportsperson Mary Kom to give him company. During the last Rajya Sabha session Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Naresh Chandra Agrawal had raised objections over Tendulkar's continued absence from India's Upper House. Agrawal had said Tendulkar should resign from the House as his attendance was very low. Tendulkar's attendance in India's Upper House is less than 6 per cent, according to a survey. In fact, Tendulkar has never participated in any debate in the House. Sachin has asked only two questions, the first one in 2015, almost three years after his appointment.

Tendulkar, Mary Kom attend Rajya Sabha

The BJP will ask its MPs absent from the Rajya Sabha on Monday for an explanation, the news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

PTI reported union minister Ananth Kumar as saying the BJP president Amit Shah had taken a serious view of the absence of the MPs.&nbsp;

And that he had asked the MPs to ensure that it was not repeated.&nbsp;

The absence of the BJP MPs allowed the Opposition to push through amendments to a bill to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes.

The setback has embarrassed the government, which has piloted the National Commission for Backward Classes Bill with an eye on&nbsp;backward caste votes.

The Times of India newspaper reported that there were a number of big BJP names missing from Rajya Sabha on Monday. The missing included Vijay Goel, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal, MJ Akbar, and Ramdas Athawale

The Hindu newspaper reported that the absences have drawn Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s ire -- Modi has warned BJP MPs earlier not to skip Parliament -- and that he has asked for a list of the absent MPs.&nbsp;

News reports said the absences have drawn Modi's ire and that he has asked for a list of the MPs absent

The BJP will ask its MPs absent from the Rajya Sabha on Monday for an explanation, the news agency PTI reported. PTI reported union minister Ananth Kumar as saying the BJP president Amit Shah had taken a serious view of the absence of the MPs. And that he had asked the MPs to ensure that it was not repeated. The absence of the BJP MPs allowed the Opposition to push through amendments to a bill to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. The setback has embarrassed the government, which has piloted the National Commission for Backward Classes Bill with an eye on backward caste votes. The Times of India newspaper reported that there were a number of big BJP names missing from Rajya Sabha on Monday. The missing included Vijay Goel, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal, MJ Akbar, and Ramdas Athawale The Hindu newspaper reported that the absences have drawn Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ire -- Modi has warned BJP MPs earlier not to skip Parliament -- and that he has asked for a list of the absent MPs.

BJP to ask absentee Rajya Sabha MPs for explanation

BSP supremo Mayawati, today, resigned from the&nbsp;Rajya Sabha saying that she was not allowed to speak on the atrocities committed against the Dalits.&nbsp;

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Mayawati walked out of the Upper House before formally announcinh her resignation, ANI reported.&nbsp;

&quot;Let me speak or I will resign,&quot; Mayawati had said.

RJD president Lalu Prasad came out in support of the BSP leader, and offered to send her to the upper house from Bihar.&nbsp;Mayawati&#39;s current term would have ended in April next year and her party, with just 18 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;Assembly, is not in a position to send her to Rajya Sabha.

&quot;Today would be remembered as a black day in the history when a highly respected Dalit leader was not allowed to raise the voice of poor in the Rajya Sabha,&quot; Lalu said reacting to Mayawati&#39;s resignation.

&quot;If Mayawati wishes, we will send her to Rajya Sabha from Bihar,&quot; the RJD president whose party has 80 MLAs in 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly said. &quot;We are with her.&quot;

In her speech, Mayawati lashed out at the NDA government for not doing enough to stop the atrocities on Dalits.&nbsp;

&quot;Since the time the BJP has come to power, there has been exploitation of the Dalits, poor, minority, and backward castes,&quot; she said.

She was speaking on the issue of Saharanpur violence.&nbsp;

&quot;The Dalits were suppressed in Saharanpur but the government did not do anything about it,&quot; she said.

&quot;No community is safe in UP, but the condition of the Dalits is worse,&quot; she added.

After she stormed out of the House, the opposition disrupted the proceedings which led to adjournment.

Mayawati, in her speech, hit out at the government for not doing enough to stop atrocities against the Dalits

BSP supremo Mayawati, today, resigned from the Rajya Sabha saying that she was not allowed to speak on the atrocities committed against the Dalits. BSP Chief Mayawati resigns from Rajya Sabha (file pic) pic.twitter.com/40DVYK17Vw — ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017 × Mayawati walked out of the Upper House before formally announcinh her resignation, ANI reported. "Let me speak or I will resign," Mayawati had said. RJD president Lalu Prasad came out in support of the BSP leader, and offered to send her to the upper house from Bihar. Mayawati's current term would have ended in April next year and her party, with just 18 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, is not in a position to send her to Rajya Sabha. "Today would be remembered as a black day in the history when a highly respected Dalit leader was not allowed to raise the voice of poor in the Rajya Sabha," Lalu said reacting to Mayawati's resignation. "If Mayawati wishes, we will send her to Rajya Sabha from Bihar," the RJD president whose party has 80 MLAs in 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly said. "We are with her." In her speech, Mayawati lashed out at the NDA government for not doing enough to stop the atrocities on Dalits. "Since the time the BJP has come to power, there has been exploitation of the Dalits, poor, minority, and backward castes," she said. She was speaking on the issue of Saharanpur violence. "The Dalits were suppressed in Saharanpur but the government did not do anything about it," she said. "No community is safe in UP, but the condition of the Dalits is worse," she added. After she stormed out of the House, the opposition disrupted the proceedings which led to adjournment.

Mayawati resigns from Rajya Sabha for not being allowed to speak on Dalits

The GST bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on March 29, will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will table the bill in Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

Although, the Rajya Sabha cannot make any changes to the bill as it has been classified as a money bill, it still can send recommendations to the lower house. The lower house can either accept or reject those recomendations.

The GST regime, which will replace the existing indirect tax structure in the country, is expected to further boost the business sentiment and aid economic growth.

It will subsume all the existing indirect taxes levied by the centre and states under one single tax. 
&nbsp; 
The new tax regime will help in making India a single market as it scraps a number of different taxes and uses one tax for goods and services.&nbsp;

The GST regime will further the agenda of coopeartive federalsim as it makes the states and the centre equal partners represented in the GST Council, which is headed by the Finance Minister.

The lower house, Lok Sabha, passed the four GST bills -- central GST, integrated GST, the union territory GST, and the GST (compensation to states) bill -- on March 29.

The government has set July 1, 2017 target for the roll out of the GST regime.

(WION with inputs from agencies) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will table the bill in Rajya Sabha

The GST bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on March 29, will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will table the bill in Rajya Sabha. Although, the Rajya Sabha cannot make any changes to the bill as it has been classified as a money bill, it still can send recommendations to the lower house. The lower house can either accept or reject those recomendations. The GST regime, which will replace the existing indirect tax structure in the country, is expected to further boost the business sentiment and aid economic growth. It will subsume all the existing indirect taxes levied by the centre and states under one single tax. The new tax regime will help in making India a single market as it scraps a number of different taxes and uses one tax for goods and services. The GST regime will further the agenda of coopeartive federalsim as it makes the states and the centre equal partners represented in the GST Council, which is headed by the Finance Minister. The lower house, Lok Sabha, passed the four GST bills -- central GST, integrated GST, the union territory GST, and the GST (compensation to states) bill -- on March 29. The government has set July 1, 2017 target for the roll out of the GST regime. (WION with inputs from agencies)

GST Bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today

India&#39;s beloved cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actor Rekha have come under renewed attack in the Rajya Sabha for their prolonged absence.

Naresh Chandra Agrawal, Samajwadi Party&nbsp;Rajya Sabha member&nbsp;raised the issue of their absence in India&#39;s Upper House. This is not the first time Tendulkar and Rekha have been questioned over their poor attendance, other members in the Rajya Sabha have raised the issue earlier.

Naresh Chandra Agrawal demanded that Tendulkar and Rekha should resign from their post.&nbsp;As per Article 104 of the Constitution, if a member is absent from either House of Parliament for a period of 60 days then the seat is considered vacant,&nbsp;the two celebrity members have definitely crossed the mark.

Both Rekha and Tendulkar are known to be the worst performers with less than 6 per cent attendance, according to a survey.&nbsp;

Rekha&#39;s attendance was 10% during the budget session this year&nbsp;while Tendulkar&nbsp;was even worse with&nbsp;a disappointing 5%. The national&nbsp;average is 78% between June1, 2009 and March 27,2017,&nbsp;according to media reports.

Neither Sachin nor Rekha have ever participated in a&nbsp;debate&nbsp;in the Upper House. As a matter of fact, the Rajya Sabha members are not known for their involvement in the Question Hour either,&nbsp;an&nbsp;imperative process to bring out administrative lapses. Sachin has asked only two questions, the first one in 2015, almost three years after his appointment.&nbsp;

In 2012, when Tendulkar was nominated to Rajya Sabha as an independent candidate with the support of Congress, the nation looked forward to his contribution in the sports ministry but he has clearly failed in his duty.

This is not the first time that Rekha and Sachin have been criticised for their poor performance.

In fact, in 2014, Sachin was slammed for attending only three sessions in 2013 and none in 2014. Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Rekha&nbsp;has&nbsp;attended the Rajya Sabha&nbsp;only seven times.

(WION)

The celebrities are known to be the worst performers with less than 6 per cent attendance

India's beloved cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actor Rekha have come under renewed attack in the Rajya Sabha for their prolonged absence. Naresh Chandra Agrawal, Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member raised the issue of their absence in India's Upper House. This is not the first time Tendulkar and Rekha have been questioned over their poor attendance, other members in the Rajya Sabha have raised the issue earlier. Naresh Chandra Agrawal demanded that Tendulkar and Rekha should resign from their post. As per Article 104 of the Constitution, if a member is absent from either House of Parliament for a period of 60 days then the seat is considered vacant, the two celebrity members have definitely crossed the mark. Both Rekha and Tendulkar are known to be the worst performers with less than 6 per cent attendance, according to a survey. Rekha's attendance was 10% during the budget session this year while Tendulkar was even worse with a disappointing 5%. The national average is 78% between June1, 2009 and March 27,2017, according to media reports. Neither Sachin nor Rekha have ever participated in a debate in the Upper House. As a matter of fact, the Rajya Sabha members are not known for their involvement in the Question Hour either, an imperative process to bring out administrative lapses. Sachin has asked only two questions, the first one in 2015, almost three years after his appointment. In 2012, when Tendulkar was nominated to Rajya Sabha as an independent candidate with the support of Congress, the nation looked forward to his contribution in the sports ministry but he has clearly failed in his duty. This is not the first time that Rekha and Sachin have been criticised for their poor performance. In fact, in 2014, Sachin was slammed for attending only three sessions in 2013 and none in 2014. Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Rekha has attended the Rajya Sabha only seven times. (WION)

SP targets Tendulkar, Rekha over poor attendance in Rajya Sabha

Opposition Congress today forced an adjournment of Rajya Sabha proceedings over the conduct of the Goa Governor in inviting BJP to form the government in the state after she reportedly consulted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Congress members alleged breach of propriety and constitutional norms in the consultations Goa Governor Mridula Sinha held with Jaitley. They stormed into the Well of the House raising slogans against murder of democracy, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the House till noon.

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Earlier when the House met for the day, Digvijaya Singh (Cong) said he has given a notice under rule 267 seeking setting aside of the business of the day to take up &quot;gross constitutional impropriety committed by Governor of Goa.&quot;

Singh read out from an interview Sinha gave to a newspaper in which she reportedly said she did not expect BJP to form the government but spoke to Jaitley before arriving at the decision to call the party to form the government ahead of Congress which had emerged as the single largest party in elections.

Kurien said the conduct of a Governor can be discussed only on the basis of a substantive motion and he had disallowed Singh&#39;s notice under 267.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the conduct of Governor was discussed when the Arunachal Pradesh issue was debated in the House.

&quot;Why don&#39;t you move a substantive motion,&quot; Kurien asked. &quot;No. I have to go by rules. You can bring substantive motion, Chairman will consider it.&quot;

Azad said his party colleague Singh had not raised any issue with the conduct of the Governor but merely stated what she had said in an interview.

In the interview, he said, the Governor said she did not accept BJP to form the government and she had called Jaitley at 2130 hours on Sunday night before inviting BJP to form the government.

&quot;How can the Governor seek permission of a Cabinet minister to form a government,&quot; Azad asked as Kurien insisted on a substantive motion for any discussion.

Singh said the House was supreme and a sense of members present can be taken and his notice under rule 267 converted into a substantive motion. 
 
Anand Sharma (Cong) said the Constitution clearly defines the duties and powers of Governor in appointing chief minister and it does not anywhere state that the Governor is supposed to consult serving cabinet minister.

&quot;Constitution does not allow Governor to consult cabinet minister&quot; for government formation, he said.&nbsp;

Kurien said if the Governor has violated the Consitution, a substantive motion can be brought.

&quot;You are going by a newspaper report. I am not bothered about that. I have made it very clear that if you feel that the Governor has violated any of the provision of Constitution, please bring a substantive motion. I cannot allow you to discuss the conduct of Governor,&quot; he said.

Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said a cabinet minister is answerable to House. To this, Kurien said if any minister has violated any provision of the Constitution, there can be a motion for that as well. &quot;We can discuss that. I have no problem.&quot;

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the government is ready to discuss if the Congress was to bring a substantive motion. He went on to say that the opposition party by its continued protests was insulting the verdict of the people as also the ruling of the Chair.

Congress members then trooped into the Well shouting slogans against what they said was murder of democracy. Treasury benches also countered the slogan shouting.

Kurien again said he was not against any discussion. &quot;I am not denying or refusing any discussion... If you want to discuss (Governor&#39;s conduct), please give a substantive motion. I will also request Chairman (to consider it) and then we can have a discussion anytime.&quot;

But Congress members continued to insist on a discussion. Singh said Jaitley is a member of the House and he can avail of his right to reply. He then went on to state that a substantive motion will be given.

Azad said the House should be adjourned for an hour for the substantive motion to be framed and submitted and the same can be discussed thereafter.

But this was not agreeable to the Chair or the treasury benches. As the slogan shouting continued, Kurien adjourned the House till 1200 hours.&nbsp;

(PTI)

She is alleged to have consulted finance minister Arun Jaitley before inviting the BJP to form the government

Opposition Congress today forced an adjournment of Rajya Sabha proceedings over the conduct of the Goa Governor in inviting BJP to form the government in the state after she reportedly consulted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Congress members alleged breach of propriety and constitutional norms in the consultations Goa Governor Mridula Sinha held with Jaitley. They stormed into the Well of the House raising slogans against murder of democracy, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the House till noon. Rajya Sabha adjourned till 02:30 PM — ANI (@ANI_news) March 17, 2017 × Earlier when the House met for the day, Digvijaya Singh (Cong) said he has given a notice under rule 267 seeking setting aside of the business of the day to take up "gross constitutional impropriety committed by Governor of Goa." Singh read out from an interview Sinha gave to a newspaper in which she reportedly said she did not expect BJP to form the government but spoke to Jaitley before arriving at the decision to call the party to form the government ahead of Congress which had emerged as the single largest party in elections. Kurien said the conduct of a Governor can be discussed only on the basis of a substantive motion and he had disallowed Singh's notice under 267. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the conduct of Governor was discussed when the Arunachal Pradesh issue was debated in the House. "Why don't you move a substantive motion," Kurien asked. "No. I have to go by rules. You can bring substantive motion, Chairman will consider it." Azad said his party colleague Singh had not raised any issue with the conduct of the Governor but merely stated what she had said in an interview. In the interview, he said, the Governor said she did not accept BJP to form the government and she had called Jaitley at 2130 hours on Sunday night before inviting BJP to form the government. "How can the Governor seek permission of a Cabinet minister to form a government," Azad asked as Kurien insisted on a substantive motion for any discussion. Singh said the House was supreme and a sense of members present can be taken and his notice under rule 267 converted into a substantive motion. Anand Sharma (Cong) said the Constitution clearly defines the duties and powers of Governor in appointing chief minister and it does not anywhere state that the Governor is supposed to consult serving cabinet minister. "Constitution does not allow Governor to consult cabinet minister" for government formation, he said. Kurien said if the Governor has violated the Consitution, a substantive motion can be brought. "You are going by a newspaper report. I am not bothered about that. I have made it very clear that if you feel that the Governor has violated any of the provision of Constitution, please bring a substantive motion. I cannot allow you to discuss the conduct of Governor," he said. Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said a cabinet minister is answerable to House. To this, Kurien said if any minister has violated any provision of the Constitution, there can be a motion for that as well. "We can discuss that. I have no problem." Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the government is ready to discuss if the Congress was to bring a substantive motion. He went on to say that the opposition party by its continued protests was insulting the verdict of the people as also the ruling of the Chair. Congress members then trooped into the Well shouting slogans against what they said was murder of democracy. Treasury benches also countered the slogan shouting. Kurien again said he was not against any discussion. "I am not denying or refusing any discussion... If you want to discuss (Governor's conduct), please give a substantive motion. I will also request Chairman (to consider it) and then we can have a discussion anytime." But Congress members continued to insist on a discussion. Singh said Jaitley is a member of the House and he can avail of his right to reply. He then went on to state that a substantive motion will be given. Azad said the House should be adjourned for an hour for the substantive motion to be framed and submitted and the same can be discussed thereafter. But this was not agreeable to the Chair or the treasury benches. As the slogan shouting continued, Kurien adjourned the House till 1200 hours. (PTI)

Congress forces adjournment in Rajya Sabha over Goa governor's role

Speaking to WION&nbsp;exclusively , the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, PJ Kurien said that the reason why Parliament is not functioning is because the&nbsp;give and take between the Opposition and Treasury is not happening.

&ldquo;What is required is dialogue between the government and Opposition outside the Parliament.&rdquo;he said.

The current Winter Session of the Parliament&nbsp;was a complete wash out where both houses could only discuss and legislate one bill.

Most of the session got trampled over the issue of demonetisation and Agusta Westland deal. Worried,&nbsp; deputy chairman told WION that the democratic way is the way of compromise and adjustments. &ldquo;As of now no adjustment has taken place,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
The deputy chair even expressed his surprise at the fact that even Treasury benches disrupted the house.&rdquo; I&rsquo;m surprised that even some of the MPS of the ruling party joined disruption,&rdquo;&nbsp;said PJ Kurien.

He says that for the larger interest of the country both Opposition and the ruling party must have a dialogue.

He added that both sides should introspect.&rdquo; I&rsquo;m disappointed but will not blame anyone&quot;.

&ldquo; If electoral representatives don&rsquo;t do the job then people will lose faith. There should be a limit and benchmark for emotional outbursts,&rdquo; said PJ Kurien.&nbsp;

Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha could not function because of changing goal posts of the ruling party and the Opposition.

For the first time, the Opposition also dealt very aggressively with the Chairs. Not only members would pour into the well but shout so loud that it would drown the voice of the chair.

The ruling in both houses does not permit members to come to the well but both rulings were broken with impunity in both the houses.

Though no member faced any disciplinary action, PJ Kurien says, &ldquo; Coming inside the well and shouting is in itself&nbsp;a challenge to the chair.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)

The current Winter Session of the Parliament?was a complete wash out where both Houses could only discuss and legislate one bill

Speaking to WION exclusively , the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, PJ Kurien said that the reason why Parliament is not functioning is because the give and take between the Opposition and Treasury is not happening. “What is required is dialogue between the government and Opposition outside the Parliament.”he said. The current Winter Session of the Parliament was a complete wash out where both houses could only discuss and legislate one bill. Most of the session got trampled over the issue of demonetisation and Agusta Westland deal. Worried, deputy chairman told WION that the democratic way is the way of compromise and adjustments. “As of now no adjustment has taken place,” he said. The deputy chair even expressed his surprise at the fact that even Treasury benches disrupted the house.” I’m surprised that even some of the MPS of the ruling party joined disruption,” said PJ Kurien. He says that for the larger interest of the country both Opposition and the ruling party must have a dialogue. He added that both sides should introspect.” I’m disappointed but will not blame anyone". “ If electoral representatives don’t do the job then people will lose faith. There should be a limit and benchmark for emotional outbursts,” said PJ Kurien. Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha could not function because of changing goal posts of the ruling party and the Opposition. For the first time, the Opposition also dealt very aggressively with the Chairs. Not only members would pour into the well but shout so loud that it would drown the voice of the chair. The ruling in both houses does not permit members to come to the well but both rulings were broken with impunity in both the houses. Though no member faced any disciplinary action, PJ Kurien says, “ Coming inside the well and shouting is in itself a challenge to the chair. (WION)

PJ Kurien, Deputy chairman of India's Upper House, tells WION 'What is needed is dialogue between Opposition and Government outside Parliament'

For the 11th consecutive day, opposition parties stalled India&#39;s Parliament today, even while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the upper house, Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;Members of Parliament have been demanding the resumption of debate on demonetisation.

Changing stance, the opposition demanded an apology from the Prime Minister for his remarks against those opposing demonetisation, and resorted to noisy protest when the demand was rejected.

During the first half of the day, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs expressed their concern over the way the commercial plane carrying West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was kept hovering for a long time while landing at Kolkata airport last night. Banerjee said the aircraft was low on fuel.&nbsp;The government said the incident will be probed.

Starting off the question hour, leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said that while the Prime Minister has been addressing his party MPs in Parliament House and even speaking outside, the opposition parties have been demanding his presence during the debate on demonetisation issue.

Modi sat through the question hour on a day which had&nbsp;questions listed against his name. Subsequently, he was present in the post-lunch session at 2 pm as well.

&quot;We had been demanding for last 15 days (presence of PM). ...We are against blackmoney. We want to speak on this issue but with whom? Our anguish is that the Prime Minister is holding weekly meetings with his MPs in Parliament House. He is also speaking outside. Our demand is that the Prime Minister should be here and listen to us,&quot; Azad said.

When the senior Congress leader also alleged that the PM had remarked that ppposition parties support blackmoney-holders and said it was a &quot;big allegation&quot;, Bharatiya Janata Party members protested the remark.

Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu insisted that the House should continue with the debate on demonetisation, which started on November 16, the first day of the winter session.

Ansari also said that the debate has not been concluded and called the listed speaker, A U Singh Deo of Biju Janata Dal&nbsp;to start.

Sharad Yadav of Janata Dal (United) also demanded that the Prime Minister be present in the House through the discussion.

&quot;Why are you assuming that he (PM) will not participate?&quot; Ansari asked Yadav.

As Singh Deo rose to speak on demonetisation, Congress members started raising slogans like &quot;Pradhan Mantri Mafi Maango (PM should apologise)&quot; from the aisles.

The House was adjourned for 15 minutes amid the din.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

The opposition MPs asked Modi to apologise for his remarks that targeted those opposing demonetisation

For the 11th consecutive day, opposition parties stalled India's Parliament today, even while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the upper house, Rajya Sabha. Members of Parliament have been demanding the resumption of debate on demonetisation. Changing stance, the opposition demanded an apology from the Prime Minister for his remarks against those opposing demonetisation, and resorted to noisy protest when the demand was rejected. During the first half of the day, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs expressed their concern over the way the commercial plane carrying West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was kept hovering for a long time while landing at Kolkata airport last night. Banerjee said the aircraft was low on fuel. The government said the incident will be probed. Starting off the question hour, leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said that while the Prime Minister has been addressing his party MPs in Parliament House and even speaking outside, the opposition parties have been demanding his presence during the debate on demonetisation issue. Modi sat through the question hour on a day which had questions listed against his name. Subsequently, he was present in the post-lunch session at 2 pm as well. "We had been demanding for last 15 days (presence of PM). ...We are against blackmoney. We want to speak on this issue but with whom? Our anguish is that the Prime Minister is holding weekly meetings with his MPs in Parliament House. He is also speaking outside. Our demand is that the Prime Minister should be here and listen to us," Azad said. When the senior Congress leader also alleged that the PM had remarked that ppposition parties support blackmoney-holders and said it was a "big allegation", Bharatiya Janata Party members protested the remark. Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu insisted that the House should continue with the debate on demonetisation, which started on November 16, the first day of the winter session. Ansari also said that the debate has not been concluded and called the listed speaker, A U Singh Deo of Biju Janata Dal to start. Sharad Yadav of Janata Dal (United) also demanded that the Prime Minister be present in the House through the discussion. "Why are you assuming that he (PM) will not participate?" Ansari asked Yadav. As Singh Deo rose to speak on demonetisation, Congress members started raising slogans like "Pradhan Mantri Mafi Maango (PM should apologise)" from the aisles. The House was adjourned for 15 minutes amid the din. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Opposition stalls India's Parliament even with PM Modi present

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today once again remained absent in the afternoon session of the Rajya Sabha -- the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were later adjourned for the day.

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Opposition creates uproar in Rajya Sabha over PM&#39;s absence
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Finance minister Arun Jaitley, while addressing opposition in the House, said that the government was ready for debate.

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The Opposition has been calling for Modi to come to Parliament and make a statement on demonetisation ever since the start of the winter session last week.&nbsp;

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kicked off the debate in the morning, saying it is &quot;important to take note of the grievances of the people suffering&quot;.&nbsp;

And that &quot;those who say demonetisation is good in the long run, should recall (the) quote, &#39;In the long run we are all dead&#39;.&quot;

Earlier in the day too, both houses of Parliament were adjourned&nbsp;till noon Thursday because of the uproar over demonetisation.

Parliament has now been disrupted every single day since the start of the winter session last week. The Lok Sabha or the lower house has been adjourned for the day, again because of the continuing uproar over demonetisation. &nbsp;

The Opposition has also decided not to hold talks with the government up to November 28, which is when they will hold their nationwide Akrosh rally to protest against the demonetisation of the country&#39;s 500- and 1,000-rupee notes. Akrosh means &quot;rage&quot;.&nbsp;

Home minister Rajnath Singh had called a meeting with leaders of the Opposition today but they skipped it, deciding to meet on their own.&nbsp;

Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar had earlier reached out to the Opposition in an attempt to break the deadlock in Parliament.

(WION)

Let's talk, says the government. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh debates on demonetisation

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today once again remained absent in the afternoon session of the Rajya Sabha -- the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were later adjourned for the day. Opposition creates uproar in Rajya Sabha over PM's absence — ANI (@ANI_news) November 24, 2016 × Finance minister Arun Jaitley, while addressing opposition in the House, said that the government was ready for debate. Opposition ka pramukh prastav tha ke PM charcha me rahen or fir unhone bahane dhundne shuru kar diye: FM Arun Jaitley on RS uproar — ANI (@ANI_news) November 24, 2016 × The Opposition has been calling for Modi to come to Parliament and make a statement on demonetisation ever since the start of the winter session last week. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kicked off the debate in the morning, saying it is "important to take note of the grievances of the people suffering". And that "those who say demonetisation is good in the long run, should recall (the) quote, 'In the long run we are all dead'." Earlier in the day too, both houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon Thursday because of the uproar over demonetisation. Parliament has now been disrupted every single day since the start of the winter session last week. The Lok Sabha or the lower house has been adjourned for the day, again because of the continuing uproar over demonetisation. The Opposition has also decided not to hold talks with the government up to November 28, which is when they will hold their nationwide Akrosh rally to protest against the demonetisation of the country's 500- and 1,000-rupee notes. Akrosh means "rage". Home minister Rajnath Singh had called a meeting with leaders of the Opposition today but they skipped it, deciding to meet on their own. Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar had earlier reached out to the Opposition in an attempt to break the deadlock in Parliament. (WION)

Demonetisation: Both Houses of Parliament adjourned after opposition protests Indian Prime Minister's absence

As the government attempts to find a truce with a united opposition, which has disrupted both the Houses of Parliament since the beginning of the Winter Session, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Upper house (Rajya Sabha) and is likely to participate in the discussion on demonetisation.

Since the first day of the ongoing Winter Session, the opposition leaders are calling for the Prime Minister to speak on the issue.

Even though most of them support the government&#39;s move on fight against black money, they are protesting against the way it was implemented as even after third week of the announcement on November 8, long queues can be seen outside ATMs and banks, with people looking to either exchange or deposit old notes.

Rejecting the demand of opposition parties to roll back the decision on demonetisation, union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu yesterday said the nation has supported the government`s step to unearth black money and added that the decision has been taken keeping in view of the welfare of the farmers and the marginalised sections of society.

He said that Prime Minister Modi took a bold decision to curb black money by invalidating the currency notes of 500 and 1,000 denominations.

For the fifth day yesterday, Parliament could not transact any substantial business due to uproar on demonetisation issue as both the Lok Sabha (Lower house) and the Rajya Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments amid allegations and counter-allegations by the members of opposition and treasury benches.

Earlier, opposition Congress&#39;s Anand Sharma alleged that the government has created financial anarchy in the country by demonetisation.

Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) reiterated his demand for payment of compensation to the kith and kin of those who have reportedly died of trauma while queuing outside banks and ATMs.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said the situation in the country is grim and the absence of the Prime Minister in the House is an &quot;insult&quot;.

Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the government is answerable to the House and the Parliament is answerable to the people.

(ANI)&nbsp;

While many support the move against black money, opposition is protesting against the way it was implemented causing inconvenience

As the government attempts to find a truce with a united opposition, which has disrupted both the Houses of Parliament since the beginning of the Winter Session, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Upper house (Rajya Sabha) and is likely to participate in the discussion on demonetisation. Since the first day of the ongoing Winter Session, the opposition leaders are calling for the Prime Minister to speak on the issue. Even though most of them support the government's move on fight against black money, they are protesting against the way it was implemented as even after third week of the announcement on November 8, long queues can be seen outside ATMs and banks, with people looking to either exchange or deposit old notes. Rejecting the demand of opposition parties to roll back the decision on demonetisation, union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu yesterday said the nation has supported the government`s step to unearth black money and added that the decision has been taken keeping in view of the welfare of the farmers and the marginalised sections of society. He said that Prime Minister Modi took a bold decision to curb black money by invalidating the currency notes of 500 and 1,000 denominations. For the fifth day yesterday, Parliament could not transact any substantial business due to uproar on demonetisation issue as both the Lok Sabha (Lower house) and the Rajya Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments amid allegations and counter-allegations by the members of opposition and treasury benches. Earlier, opposition Congress's Anand Sharma alleged that the government has created financial anarchy in the country by demonetisation. Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) reiterated his demand for payment of compensation to the kith and kin of those who have reportedly died of trauma while queuing outside banks and ATMs. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said the situation in the country is grim and the absence of the Prime Minister in the House is an "insult". Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the government is answerable to the House and the Parliament is answerable to the people. (ANI)

Demonetisation: Modi to attend Rajya Sabha today

Opposition today disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha for the fourth consecutive day today demanding discussion on demonetisation on a rule which entails voting forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House for about 50 minutes soon after it assembled.

As soon as the House met, members of the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, Left parties and the Aam Aadmi Party rushed to the Well of the House demanding a discussion on the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.

Samjawadi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Rashriya Janata Dal (RJD) stood in the aisles in solidarity with the other opposition members.

While AIADMK members were also on the aisles raising the issue of Tamil fishermen injured allegedly in firing by Sri Lankan Navy, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was seen busy in his seat in an intimate discussion with AAP MP from Punjab Harinder Singh Khalsa.

Ignoring the slogan-shouting Opposition members, Speaker allowed the Question Hour to continue amidst noise.

When some Opposition members tried to bring a placard, denouncing the demonetisation move, in front of Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who was replying to a question related to his Ministry, the Speaker tried to intervene and asked the MPs not to disturb the Minister.

&quot;This is not good. Everyone will be shown on TV, but don&#39;t disturb the Minister. If you want to discuss something, raise it before the government. People are in pain, tell the government. But this is not the way to highlight people&#39;s grievances,&quot; Mahajan said asking them to return to their seats.

However, an unrelenting opposition continued to raise slogans.

The Speaker again appealed to the opposition to participate in the debate saying that the disruption of proceedings would not resolve the problem.

&quot;I am really pained. If you are people&#39;s representatives, you should stand by them,&quot; she said.

As pandemonium continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon after 20 minutes of proceedings.

(PTI)

An unrelenting Opposition continued to demand a debate on the demonetisation of 500- & 1,000-rupee notes

Opposition today disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha for the fourth consecutive day today demanding discussion on demonetisation on a rule which entails voting forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House for about 50 minutes soon after it assembled. As soon as the House met, members of the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, Left parties and the Aam Aadmi Party rushed to the Well of the House demanding a discussion on the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. Samjawadi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Rashriya Janata Dal (RJD) stood in the aisles in solidarity with the other opposition members. While AIADMK members were also on the aisles raising the issue of Tamil fishermen injured allegedly in firing by Sri Lankan Navy, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was seen busy in his seat in an intimate discussion with AAP MP from Punjab Harinder Singh Khalsa. Ignoring the slogan-shouting Opposition members, Speaker allowed the Question Hour to continue amidst noise. When some Opposition members tried to bring a placard, denouncing the demonetisation move, in front of Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who was replying to a question related to his Ministry, the Speaker tried to intervene and asked the MPs not to disturb the Minister. "This is not good. Everyone will be shown on TV, but don't disturb the Minister. If you want to discuss something, raise it before the government. People are in pain, tell the government. But this is not the way to highlight people's grievances," Mahajan said asking them to return to their seats. However, an unrelenting opposition continued to raise slogans. The Speaker again appealed to the opposition to participate in the debate saying that the disruption of proceedings would not resolve the problem. "I am really pained. If you are people's representatives, you should stand by them," she said. As pandemonium continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon after 20 minutes of proceedings. (PTI)

India: Lok Sabha adjourned for fourth consecutive day

A united opposition&#39;s demand for a debate on demonetisation under a rule which entails voting today forced the adjournment of India&#39;s Lower House (Lok Sabha) for the day after the government refused to accede to their request.

The Upper House (Rajya Sabha) was also adjourned after opposition parties - led by the Congress -&nbsp;protested&nbsp;the hardship faced by the people after the Indian government decided to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 bank notes.

Parliamentarians also insisted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi be present during the discussion.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told the Lok Sabha the government was willing to debate the issue under a rule which did not entail voting (Rule 193) since it wanted Parliament to have a united stand on the issue.

He also said people were with the government on the issue. &quot;They want black money, fake currency... To be finished. We want cooperation from you. We are ready to discuss. We do not want two voices to emerge from Parliament,&quot; he said.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned proceedings for the day after the opposition, including the TMC, Congress, the Left, SP and RJD, refused to budge and marched into the Well of the House.

TMC leader Sudip Bandhyopadhyay, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, AND RJD&#39;s Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav led the demand for an adjournment motion.

&quot;We all want a discussion under the Rule 56 so that we can know what is the stand of all parties when they vote. Then everyone will participate,&quot; Kharge said.

He said his party wanted to discuss the &quot;hardship being faced by the people&quot; and the government&#39;s failure to redress the plight.&quot;&nbsp;

Sudip Bandhopadhyay said opposition parties were together. &quot;We are in a mood to censure the government.&quot;

In the Rajya Sabha,&nbsp;pandemonium erupted after TMC&#39;&#39;s Derek O&#39;Brien asked where the prime minister was when the House discusses hardships and inconvience caused by the decision to withdraw the 500 and 1000 rupee notes.

&quot;The person who made the (demonetisation) announcement at 8 o&#39;clock on November 8, where is he,&quot; he said.

(WION with &nbsp;inputs from agencies)

The opposition demanded a response from PM Modi about the hardship caused to people by demonetisation of Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes

A united opposition's demand for a debate on demonetisation under a rule which entails voting today forced the adjournment of India's Lower House (Lok Sabha) for the day after the government refused to accede to their request. The Upper House (Rajya Sabha) was also adjourned after opposition parties - led by the Congress - protested the hardship faced by the people after the Indian government decided to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 bank notes. Parliamentarians also insisted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi be present during the discussion. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told the Lok Sabha the government was willing to debate the issue under a rule which did not entail voting (Rule 193) since it wanted Parliament to have a united stand on the issue. He also said people were with the government on the issue. "They want black money, fake currency... To be finished. We want cooperation from you. We are ready to discuss. We do not want two voices to emerge from Parliament," he said. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned proceedings for the day after the opposition, including the TMC, Congress, the Left, SP and RJD, refused to budge and marched into the Well of the House. TMC leader Sudip Bandhyopadhyay, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, AND RJD's Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav led the demand for an adjournment motion. "We all want a discussion under the Rule 56 so that we can know what is the stand of all parties when they vote. Then everyone will participate," Kharge said. He said his party wanted to discuss the "hardship being faced by the people" and the government's failure to redress the plight." Sudip Bandhopadhyay said opposition parties were together. "We are in a mood to censure the government." In the Rajya Sabha, pandemonium erupted after TMC''s Derek O'Brien asked where the prime minister was when the House discusses hardships and inconvience caused by the decision to withdraw the 500 and 1000 rupee notes. "The person who made the (demonetisation) announcement at 8 o'clock on November 8, where is he," he said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Both Houses of Parliament adjourned after demonetisation uproar

Minister of state in the Prime Minister&#39;s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Wednesday hailed demonetisation as a &quot;historic&quot; decision and expressed his gratitude to the common man for imposing their conviction in Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite the initial inconvenience.

&quot;More gratifying is that in spite of initial inconvenience because of the transition period, the common man of this country is fully cooperative and confident in the courage and conviction of the honourable Prime Minister,&quot; Singh told mediapersons outside the parliament.

&quot;The government is ready for any kind of discussion in the house. The longer the discussion is, more elaborate would be its discussion and the more government will have opportunity to explain to the people of this country about the enormous advantages of this historic decision, which I believe is once in a century decision. So, the discussion is indeed welcomed from the point of view of government as well,&quot; he added while attempting to silence all critics.

The Rajya Sabha is presently discussion demonetisation on the opening day of the Winter Session. The Upper House suspended the listed business for the day on the demand by the Opposition parties, which had given notices.

Prime Minister Modi earlier today called for a healthy debate on various issues including the Goods and Services Tax (GST) during the Winter Session of Parliament.

(ANI)

The minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office expressed his gratitude to the common man for their cooperation despite inconvenience

Minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Wednesday hailed demonetisation as a "historic" decision and expressed his gratitude to the common man for imposing their conviction in Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite the initial inconvenience. "More gratifying is that in spite of initial inconvenience because of the transition period, the common man of this country is fully cooperative and confident in the courage and conviction of the honourable Prime Minister," Singh told mediapersons outside the parliament. "The government is ready for any kind of discussion in the house. The longer the discussion is, more elaborate would be its discussion and the more government will have opportunity to explain to the people of this country about the enormous advantages of this historic decision, which I believe is once in a century decision. So, the discussion is indeed welcomed from the point of view of government as well," he added while attempting to silence all critics. The Rajya Sabha is presently discussion demonetisation on the opening day of the Winter Session. The Upper House suspended the listed business for the day on the demand by the Opposition parties, which had given notices. Prime Minister Modi earlier today called for a healthy debate on various issues including the Goods and Services Tax (GST) during the Winter Session of Parliament. (ANI)

Indian minister lauds nation for trusting prime minister's 'historic' demonetisation move

India&#39;s parliament today passed a landmark tax reform&nbsp;bill&nbsp;that will pave the way for the introduction of a new national sales tax, and create a common market across the country for the first time. 
 
Parliament&#39;s upper house, Rajya Sabha, passed the long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST)&nbsp;bill&nbsp;unanimously after Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s government reached a consensus with opposition parties over the new tax regime. The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 was approved by the upper house with 203 votes in favour and none against, after a seven-hour debate during which a rare bonhomie was witnessed among the ruling and the opposition parties. 
 
The GST will replace a patchwork of central and state levies on goods and services and is one of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party government&#39;s biggest reforms since taking power in May 2014.&nbsp;Prime Minister Modi thanked the leaders and members of all the parties in a tweet&nbsp;after the bill received a thumbs up. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
On this truly historic occasion of the passage of the GST Bill in the Rajya Sabha, I thank the leaders and members of all parties.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/760874175766507521">August 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I would like to add that GST will also be the best example of cooperative federalism. Together we will take India to new heights of progress
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/760874652960821249">August 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
The battle to introduce the economy-boosting GST has been one of the fiercest of Modi&#39;s premiership, with Congress repeatedly blocking the bill for more than a year, before finally agreeing to several amendments. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s the biggest tax reform since independence,&quot; finance minister Arun Jaitley told the NDTV television channel earlier today.&nbsp;&quot;It integrates India into one economic entity India becomes a big market, there will be a seamless transfer of goods and services across the country.&quot; 
 
Investors have billed the GST as a &quot;silver bullet&quot; for India&#39;s economy that would supplant multiple federal and state levies, a chaotic structure that inflates costs for businesses. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
GST Bill passed.India&#39;s enormous market--a caged tiger--will now be unleashed. GoodShowTeam India!
&mdash; anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) <a href="https://twitter.com/anandmahindra/status/760876374634721280">August 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Passing of the GST Amendment Bill will boost foreign investor sentiment <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GSTBill?src=hash">#GSTBill</a> 
Watch for inflows
&mdash; Mahesh (@invest_mutual) <a href="https://twitter.com/invest_mutual/status/760875005089423360">August 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
Hailing the passage of the bill as an extremely progressive step, Walmart India today reacted positively. 
 
&quot;Passing of the GST bill today in Rajya Sabha is an extremely progressive step and long awaited one. GST is one of the critical tax reforms which has potential to create one single market in India for goods &amp; services and will boost country&#39;s economy significantly,&quot; Walmart India president and CEO Krish Iyer said in a statement. 
 
Businesses have lobbied hard for the tax, with lobby group the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimating the GST will add 1.5 to 2 percentage points to the annual economic growth rate. 
 
&quot;It is very much in the category of what one would call a big-bang reform,&quot; CII president Naushad Forbes told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;It will be a huge benefit to the ease of doing business, it&#39;s a huge potential efficiency gainer. It&#39;s a very significant potential contribution to the economy in the longer term,&quot; he said. 
 
India&#39;s GDP expanded 7.6 per cent in 2015-16, making it the fastest-growing major economy in the world.&nbsp;The actual tax is still some way off, however, with the government targeting April 2017 for its introduction, a date many experts say is overly optimistic. 
 
The bill that cleared the upper house today simply amends the constitution to grant the government new taxation powers.&nbsp;The bill must also be ratified by at least half of India&#39;s 29 states, before a specific GST bill can be introduced to enshrine the tax in law. 
 
The main rate of GST is still a hot topic for debate, with experts suggesting it is likely to end up at around 18 per cent.&nbsp;While GST may push up inflation in the short term because the price of some goods will rise, economists say it will boost business activity and deter tax evasion. 
 
About 150 countries worldwide have some form of GST or VAT (Value Added Tax), according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. 
 
(Agencies)

The passage of the bill was held up for years by political infighting, and its advancement marks a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India's parliament today passed a landmark tax reform bill that will pave the way for the introduction of a new national sales tax, and create a common market across the country for the first time. Parliament's upper house, Rajya Sabha, passed the long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill unanimously after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government reached a consensus with opposition parties over the new tax regime. The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 was approved by the upper house with 203 votes in favour and none against, after a seven-hour debate during which a rare bonhomie was witnessed among the ruling and the opposition parties. The GST will replace a patchwork of central and state levies on goods and services and is one of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party government's biggest reforms since taking power in May 2014. Prime Minister Modi thanked the leaders and members of all the parties in a tweet after the bill received a thumbs up. On this truly historic occasion of the passage of the GST Bill in the Rajya Sabha, I thank the leaders and members of all parties. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 3, 2016 I would like to add that GST will also be the best example of cooperative federalism. Together we will take India to new heights of progress — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 3, 2016 The battle to introduce the economy-boosting GST has been one of the fiercest of Modi's premiership, with Congress repeatedly blocking the bill for more than a year, before finally agreeing to several amendments. "It's the biggest tax reform since independence," finance minister Arun Jaitley told the NDTV television channel earlier today. "It integrates India into one economic entity India becomes a big market, there will be a seamless transfer of goods and services across the country." Investors have billed the GST as a "silver bullet" for India's economy that would supplant multiple federal and state levies, a chaotic structure that inflates costs for businesses. GST Bill passed.India's enormous market--a caged tiger--will now be unleashed. GoodShowTeam India! — anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) August 3, 2016 Passing of the GST Amendment Bill will boost foreign investor sentiment #GSTBill Watch for inflows — Mahesh (@invest_mutual) August 3, 2016 Hailing the passage of the bill as an extremely progressive step, Walmart India today reacted positively. "Passing of the GST bill today in Rajya Sabha is an extremely progressive step and long awaited one. GST is one of the critical tax reforms which has potential to create one single market in India for goods & services and will boost country's economy significantly," Walmart India president and CEO Krish Iyer said in a statement. Businesses have lobbied hard for the tax, with lobby group the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimating the GST will add 1.5 to 2 percentage points to the annual economic growth rate. "It is very much in the category of what one would call a big-bang reform," CII president Naushad Forbes told AFP. "It will be a huge benefit to the ease of doing business, it's a huge potential efficiency gainer. It's a very significant potential contribution to the economy in the longer term," he said. India's GDP expanded 7.6 per cent in 2015-16, making it the fastest-growing major economy in the world. The actual tax is still some way off, however, with the government targeting April 2017 for its introduction, a date many experts say is overly optimistic. The bill that cleared the upper house today simply amends the constitution to grant the government new taxation powers. The bill must also be ratified by at least half of India's 29 states, before a specific GST bill can be introduced to enshrine the tax in law. The main rate of GST is still a hot topic for debate, with experts suggesting it is likely to end up at around 18 per cent. While GST may push up inflation in the short term because the price of some goods will rise, economists say it will boost business activity and deter tax evasion. About 150 countries worldwide have some form of GST or VAT (Value Added Tax), according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (Agencies)

Indian parliament's upper house passes landmark tax reform bill

The Indian government will introduce the long-awaited goods and services tax (GST) constitutional amendment bill in Parliament next week, a minister said on Friday, as almost all political parties have agreed on the proposed law. 
 
The GST bill will be introduced in the upper house of Indian Parliament next week, junior parliamentary affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told lawmakers. 
 
The proposed tax reform, the biggest since India&#39;s independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of federal taxes and levies in 29 states, transforming the nation of near 1.3 billion people into a customs union. 
 
Analysts say the move could boost India&#39;s economic growth by up to 2 percentage points. 
 
The Indian government on July 27 made crucial ammendments to its goods and services tax bill in a move to enlist the support of opposition parties as well as state governments. 
 
Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley met his state counterparts on July 26 to forge a political consensus on the bill that is held up in Parliament. 
 
As part of the ammendments, the government has dropped a contentious 1 per cent additional levy on inter-state movement of goods, and has agreed to compensate states for any revenue losses for five years. 
 
While there is a broad political support for the measure, differences persist on the details, in particular pitching the tax at the right level to offset possible revenue losses. 
 
The cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include in the Constitutional Amendment Bill that any dispute between states and the centre will be adjudicated by the GST Council, which will have representation from both the Centre and states. 
 
With states on board and the cabinet approving the amendments, the government is hopeful of passage of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which ends on August 12. 
 
The GST Bill, with the changes approved by the cabinet, could come up in the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha as early as this week, but certainly by next week. 
 
By doing away with the 1 per cent inter-state tax over and above the GST rate, the government has met one of the three key demands over which the main opposition party Congress has been blocking the bill in the upper house. 
 
The other demands of including GST rate in the statute and a Supreme Court judge-headed dispute resolution body has not been accepted. It remains to be seen if meeting of its demands halfway will persuade the Congress to support the legislation. 
 
The proposed tax reform, the biggest since India&#39;s independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of taxes and levies in 29 states, transforming the nation of near 1.3 billion people into a customs union. 
 
The Bill, in its present form, provides that the centre will give 100 per cent compensation to states for first three years, 75 per cent and 50 per cent for the next two years. 
 
However, the select committee of the Rajya Sabha had in its report recommended 100 per cent compensation for probable loss of revenue for five years. 
 
As per the amendments, the centre will now constitutionally guarantee states any loss of revenue from the GST subsuming all indirect taxes, including VAT, in the first five years of introduction. 
 
(Agencies) 
&nbsp;

The reform seeks to replace a slew of federal taxes and levies. Analysts say the move could boost economic growth by 2 per cent

The Indian government will introduce the long-awaited goods and services tax (GST) constitutional amendment bill in Parliament next week, a minister said on Friday, as almost all political parties have agreed on the proposed law. The GST bill will be introduced in the upper house of Indian Parliament next week, junior parliamentary affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told lawmakers. The proposed tax reform, the biggest since India's independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of federal taxes and levies in 29 states, transforming the nation of near 1.3 billion people into a customs union. Analysts say the move could boost India's economic growth by up to 2 percentage points. The Indian government on July 27 made crucial ammendments to its goods and services tax bill in a move to enlist the support of opposition parties as well as state governments. Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley met his state counterparts on July 26 to forge a political consensus on the bill that is held up in Parliament. As part of the ammendments, the government has dropped a contentious 1 per cent additional levy on inter-state movement of goods, and has agreed to compensate states for any revenue losses for five years. While there is a broad political support for the measure, differences persist on the details, in particular pitching the tax at the right level to offset possible revenue losses. The cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include in the Constitutional Amendment Bill that any dispute between states and the centre will be adjudicated by the GST Council, which will have representation from both the Centre and states. With states on board and the cabinet approving the amendments, the government is hopeful of passage of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which ends on August 12. The GST Bill, with the changes approved by the cabinet, could come up in the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha as early as this week, but certainly by next week. By doing away with the 1 per cent inter-state tax over and above the GST rate, the government has met one of the three key demands over which the main opposition party Congress has been blocking the bill in the upper house. The other demands of including GST rate in the statute and a Supreme Court judge-headed dispute resolution body has not been accepted. It remains to be seen if meeting of its demands halfway will persuade the Congress to support the legislation. The proposed tax reform, the biggest since India's independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of taxes and levies in 29 states, transforming the nation of near 1.3 billion people into a customs union. The Bill, in its present form, provides that the centre will give 100 per cent compensation to states for first three years, 75 per cent and 50 per cent for the next two years. However, the select committee of the Rajya Sabha had in its report recommended 100 per cent compensation for probable loss of revenue for five years. As per the amendments, the centre will now constitutionally guarantee states any loss of revenue from the GST subsuming all indirect taxes, including VAT, in the first five years of introduction. (Agencies)

Indian government hopeful of clearing GST bill in Parliament next week, opposition promises support

Over a year after the Upper House of the Indian Parliament (Rajya Sabha) approved a private member&#39;s bill to protect the rights of transgenders, the government on Wednesday cleared a similar legislation to protect such persons from discrimination. 
 
The Union Cabinet approved The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016 for introduction in Parliament. 
 
&quot;Through this bill, the government has evolved a mechanism for their social, economic and educational empowerment. The bill will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalised section and bring them into the mainstream of society,&quot; an official statement said. 
 
Transgender community is among one of the most marginalised communities in the country because they do not fit into the stereotypical categories of gender of &#39;men&#39; or &#39;women&#39;. 
 
They face problems ranging from social exclusion to discrimination, lack of education facilities, unemployment and lack of medical facilities. 
 
The private member&#39;s bill moved by Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva was passed by the Rajya Sabha on April 24, 2015. 
 
This was for the first time in 45 years that a private member&#39;s Bill was passed by the House. 
 
The government to assure the House that it would bring its own bill in Lok Sabha after wider consultations. 
 
(PTI)

Through this bill, the government has evolved a mechanism for their social, economic and educational empowerment an official statement said

Over a year after the Upper House of the Indian Parliament (Rajya Sabha) approved a private member's bill to protect the rights of transgenders, the government on Wednesday cleared a similar legislation to protect such persons from discrimination. The Union Cabinet approved The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016 for introduction in Parliament. "Through this bill, the government has evolved a mechanism for their social, economic and educational empowerment. The bill will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalised section and bring them into the mainstream of society," an official statement said. Transgender community is among one of the most marginalised communities in the country because they do not fit into the stereotypical categories of gender of 'men' or 'women'. They face problems ranging from social exclusion to discrimination, lack of education facilities, unemployment and lack of medical facilities. The private member's bill moved by Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva was passed by the Rajya Sabha on April 24, 2015. This was for the first time in 45 years that a private member's Bill was passed by the House. The government to assure the House that it would bring its own bill in Lok Sabha after wider consultations. (PTI)

Indian government approves bill to protect transgenders from discrimination

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