SYNOPSIS of DEBATE ______(Proceedings Other Than Questions and Answers) ______Saturday, September 19, 2020 / Bhadra 28, 1942 (Saka) ______OBITUARY REFERENCE MR
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RAJYA SABHA _______ SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE _______ (Proceedings other than Questions and Answers) _______ Saturday, September 19, 2020 / Bhadra 28, 1942 (Saka) _______ OBITUARY REFERENCE MR. CHAIRMAN: Hon'ble Members, I refer with profound sorrow to the passing away of Shrimati Naznin Faruque, a former Member of this House, on the 16th of September, 2020, at the age of 66 years. Born in August, 1954, in Nagaon District of Assam, Shrimati Naznin Faruque was educated at the North Eastern Hill University, Shillong. A social worker, Shrimati Faruque was actively associated with several social and cultural bodies. She worked assiduously for the upliftment of the poor and the downtrodden and took special interest in welfare of women. She served as the Chairperson of the State Weaving Manufacturing Cooperative Limited in the Government of Assam. She also served as the President of All Assam Women Cricket Association. Shrimati Naznin Faruque represented the State of Assam in this House from April, 2010 to April, 2016. In the passing away of Shrimati Naznin Faruque, the country has lost a dedicated social worker and an able parliamentarian. This Synopsis is not an authoritative record of the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. 166 We deeply mourn the passing away of Shrimati Naznin Faruque. (One Minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed.) _______ ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHAIR MR. CHAIRMAN: Hon'ble Members, Covid-19 test facility, both Rapid Antigen and RTPCR, is available at Reception Office, Parliament House, from 8.00 A.M. to 2.30 P.M. and at Auditorium, Ground Floor of Parliament House Annexe, from 10.30 A.M. to 5.00 P.M. Every day throughout the current Session of Parliament. Members are advised to avail of this facility and get their test done as per their convenience and requirement. Further, significant numbers of Oximeters to check oxygen saturation level of Members are available at First Aid Post, Parliament House and Medical Centre, Parliament House Annexe. Members are advised to avail of this facility also. Hon'ble Members, yesterday, I again held a meeting with the Home Secretary, the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Director-General, ICMR and also the officers of Rajya Sabha about the measures being taken to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and safeguards and precautions that are required for members and the best safeguard, according to them, is mask. Wearing mask is important whenever you meet a person outside your house, including outsiders working in your house. This is very important. Maintaining safe distance is essential till this pandemic goes away. The third one is maintaining hygiene - washing your hands, cleaning them with Dettol from time to time and keeping yourself free from any sort of infection. The fourth thing is about the need to keep immunity levels of your body. That is possible by healthy food habits, healthy lifestyle and also some amount of exercise, whether it is walking or Yoga. This is very essential. Eating healthy food is also very important. I am not prescribing any particular food. Remember the grandmother's prescriptions in your respective places, whatever to be done in normal course, in cooking, in eating 167 and also in living habits. These are all very important things. I am concerned about the people. At the same time, I am concerned about the hon'ble Members of the House. As we are functioning in a tough situation, I request all the Members to please keep distance. Do not cross that six-feet limit. If it is very important, as I told you yesterday, send a slip. Otherwise, you can go out. Then, also avoid coming here to the Table and then trying to talk to the officers. Please send a slip, or, talk to them before the Session starts. But, then a question was raised by some Members yesterday as to how they will convey their problems and grievances. Please write and send it to me. That is the best way. I hope everyone of our Members will remember these four things that have been stated by the ICMR, the Health Ministry and the Home Ministry and co-operate so that we can operate and complete our Business at the earliest and go back to serve our people. _______ MATTERS RAISED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE CHAIR 1. Need to take measures to Curb Cross-Border Terrorism DR. SASMIT PATRA: Usually, we follow various measures such as increased counter-intelligence, digital and on-ground surveillance, and so on which are the internal measures to actually curb cross-border terrorism. One is increasing international pressures on Pakistan such as the Indo-U.S. joint statement that was released a few days back which asked Pakistan to stop allowing its territory to be used to launch terror attacks. It had a huge impact. I would request the Government to also engage with other G-8 countries for taking such measures forward. We need to escalate the issue through international media engagement. Usually, we do not see India's version in CNN, BBC and so on and so forth. I hope that Indian Government uses Parliamentarians just as the U.S. Government uses Senators and Congressmen in order to push it. (Several hon’ble Members associated.) 168 2. Issue of Reservation for SCs and Backward Castes in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir SHRI RAJARAM: Today, the population of OBC in Jammu is around 35 percent and the population of SC is 17 percent there. But even today, there is 2 percent reservation for OBCs in Jammu. Reservation for SC is 8 percent. The center has 15 percent reservation for them. Bahujan Samaj Party supported the government on Article 370 because it could not be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir due to Article 370. Even after the removal of Article 370, there has been no change in the status of reservation for SC and OBC. (Several hon’ble Members associated.) 3. Need to Provide Relief to the Unorganized Sector, Adversely Affected by Covid-19 Pandemic SHRI DEREK O’BRIEN: This is regarding aid for informal sector workers such as daily wage labourers, artists, traders, weavers and craftspersons. All of them have lots of problems after the pandemic. The 70-year old All-India Handicraft Board, based in Kolkata, has been abolished by the Centre. My appeal is to re-open these Boards at the earliest. For transferring money to these unorganized sector workers in Bengal, there is a scheme called Prochesta Scheme, under which Rs. 1,000 are directly transferred into the bank accounts. There is another one called 'Sneher Paras' under which Rs. 1,000 have been transferred into the bank accounts. Day before yesterday was the beginning of auspicious Durga Puja, Mahalaya. This is such an important festival, which will generate income for thousands of them. So, my appeal to the Centre is to use the Bengal model and to facilitate cash transfers to all these informal sector workers. SHRI SUBHASH CHANDRA SINGH: In the migration- prone Districts of Bolangir and Nuapada in Odisha the State Government had introduced 200-days work in a year for MNREGA workers and minimum wage of Rs. 300 per day was introduced with a special fund of Rs. 500 crore. Accordingly, in the Central Government, throughout the nation, under MNREGA, there should be 169 200 working days and Minimum Wage should be raised to Rs. 300 per day. Secondly, how much money has been contributed by the Central Government to the recently created Welfare Fund ? (Several hon’ble Members associated.) 4. Legal Challenge to the Constitutional (97th Amendment) Act, 2011 Related to Co-operative Societies DR. CHANDRAPAL SINGH YADAV: The cooperative sector of the country plays a very important role in the rural economy. 40 crore people are members of cooperatives in the country and there are eight lakh cooperative institutions. Due to being a state subject, laws of various states are different. To bring transparency and equality in those laws, the Constitution (97th Amendment) Act, 2011 was introduced. It was passed unanimously in both the Houses. 16 states also changed their law in this regard, but a person from Gujarat took a stay order from the Hon'ble High Court due to lapse of parliamentary procedure. This constitutional amendment has been pending for 10 years. I would like to request the government to take effective steps in this regard. It may get justice delivered to the 40 crore people of this country by effectively advocating in this pending case in the Hon'ble Supreme Court. (Several hon’ble Members associated.) 5. Need to Include Bhojpuri in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution SHRI NEERAJ SHEKHAR: In this country, about 200 million people speak Bhojpuri and about seven to eight crore people also speak it abroad. Bhojpuri language is not only spoken in India, but also in Mauritius, Suriname, Uganda, Maldives and Nepal. It has also been given constitutional status, especially in Nepal and Mauritius. I want to request the Government to understand the sentiments of millions of Bhojpuri speakers settled in the country and abroad and Bhojpuri should be included in the eighth schedule of the constitution by bringing the Bill at the earliest. (Several hon’ble Members associated.) 170 6. Need for Conversion of the Sanctioned Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) Loan as Grant for Fishing Harbours in the State of Andhra Pradesh .SHRI VENKATARAMANA RAO MOPIDEVI: We have requested the Central Government to convert the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) loan as total grant to the three sanctioned fishing harbours in Andhra Pradesh.