SYNOPSIS of DEBATE ______(Proceedings Other Than Questions and Answers) ______Tuesday, December 11, 2012/Agrahayana 20, 1934 (Saka) ______OBITUARY REFERENCE
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RAJYA SABHA _________ ∗SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE _________ (Proceedings other than Questions and Answers) _________ Tuesday, December 11, 2012/Agrahayana 20, 1934 (Saka) _________ OBITUARY REFERENCE MR. CHAIRMAN: Hon. Members, I refer with profound sorrow to the passing away of Shri G. Swaminathan, a former Member of this House, on the 9th of December, 2012, at the age of 80 years. Born in December, 1931, in Tamil Nadu, Shri Swaminathan had his education at Presidency College and Madras Medical College, Chennai. A businessmen, Shri Swaminathan was associated with several social welfare organizations. He served as President of the Sri Besant Lodge (Theosophical Society) and Chairman of the Voluntary Health Services, Thanjavur. Shri Swaminathan started his legislative career as a Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council in 1968 and continued as a ___________________________________________________ ∗This Synopsis is not an authoritative record of the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. 78 Member till 1986. He also served as Deputy Chairman of that Council from 1978 to 1980 and again from 1984 to 1986. Shri G. Swaminathan represented the State of Tamil Nadu in this House for two terms -- from June, 1986 to June, 1992 and again from June, 1992, to June, 1998. He served as a Member on the Panel of Vice-Chairmen, Rajya Sabha, from 1986 to 1988. He also served as the Chairman of the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table from July, 1996 to June, 1998. Shri Swaminathan had also participated in various international conferences and was a member of several parliamentary delegations. In the passing away of Shri G. Swaminathan, the country has lost a distinguished parliamentarian and a noted social worker. We deeply mourn the passing away of Shri G. Swaminathan. (One Minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed.) _________ OBSERVATION BY THE CHAIR Mr. Chairman: Hon. Members, a situation has arisen in which the Chair has to watch helplessly the disruption of the Question Hour very frequently. I, therefore, propose to call a meeting of the Rules Committee and put before the Members of the Committee two options. One, that the Question Hour be moved to another part of the day. Two, since Members don’t seem to attach very grave importance to the questions being answered, the Question Hour be dispensed with altogether. _________ 79 MATTERS RAISED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE CHAIR I. Reported Lobbying by Walmart for Entry in India SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU: We have been asking the Government to agree to a discussion, and also a response from the Government, followed by an independent, high-level inquiry into this serious issue. We have got a copy of the Disclosure Report submitted to the US Senate by the Walmart Company. The Report says that they have spent around $25 million since 2008 on various lobbying activities, including on issues related to enhanced market access for investment in India. So, we would like to know what happened in India and why this sort of thing has been reported to the US Senate. The money is spent in America. That means it becomes all the more serious. The money is spent on American law makers to pressurize India to take a particular decision of allowing FDI in India. It is questioning the sovereignty of the nation. SHRI SITARAM YECHURY: This is a serious matter. Lobbying in our country is not legal. There should be an inquiry into this whole matter. We are moving a separate notice for a discussion under Rule 176 on this issue. So, you please accept the notice and let there be a structured discussion on this issue. DR. V. MAITREYAN: It is an assault on our sovereignty. THE MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND THE MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMAL NATH), responding to the matter, said: We too have learnt from press reports of the reported disclosure by Walmart on lobbying in various countries, including India. The Government views this with as much concern as what you have. We are not running away from that concern and have no hesitation in having an inquiry on this as much as it concerns amounts spent by them in India. We want to get to the facts of this matter. We are open for a discussion. I would, during the course of the day, make a further announcement on this towards this step. 80 II. Spread of Dengue Epidemic in India SHRIMATI KANIMOZHI: I would like to bring to the notice of this august House about the dengue epidemic, which is reaching shocking levels in this country. Why have we not been able to control the cases and why have we not been able to take preventive measures? Why is there such a steep increase in the levels of dengue? The number of lives lost this year is 227, the highest in the last five years, across the country and there are so many unreported cases as well. There is no information about what really the Government is doing about it. The number of detections is 9,249 at the end of November and the number of dead is 60 in the state of Tamil Nadu and there are so many unreported cases. Chennai has become a place of overflowing garbage and dustbins. I want to know if the Central Government is following up with the State Government about what action they have been taking. III. Suspension of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA: I want to draw the attention of the Government towards the temporary suspension of Indian Olympic Association by the International Olympic Committee. This news is very unfortunate for the country and particularly for sports community. How we will participate in Olympics and many other issues have arisen as well. This happened due to stubbornness of the Government. The government tried to increase its say in IOC and Sports federations through sports directives, 2011. International Olympic committee has protested it strongly and said that as per the Olympic charter Government or no one has no right to intervene in functioning and decisions of IOA or other sports organisations. SHRI ANIL DESAI: Interference by the Sports Ministry is the main objection taken by the International Olympic Committee which should be taken into account by the Government of India (Smt. Maya Singh, Dr. Chandan Mitra , and Shri Basawaraj Patil, Shri Tarun Vijay associated) 81 IV. Directive Issued by U.A.E. to 18,000 Workers of Andhra Pradesh to Leave the Country SHRI C.M. RAMESH: There are lakhs of people from Andhra Pradesh and other states working in different countries in various sectors. Now, in the present case, more than 18,000 workers working in the UAE are asked to leave the country within three months. Otherwise, as per the order, they would be sent to jail. The first problem being faced by these workers is that their passports are taken away. Secondly, they are paid once in six months. Thirdly, agents and companies ask workers to work and assure them that they take steps to extend the period of their visa/work permits. The point to be noted here is, the UAE is asking only Indians to leave when workers from other countries are permitted to stay there. As a result of this, the workers and families are worried very much. In view of the above, I request the Government of India to immediately take up the issue with the UAE authorities through diplomatic and political channels and ensure that our workers are given visa/work permits to work there. If they wish to come to India, necessary arrangement be made. SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU: I request the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Shri Rajeev Shukla, to please take note of this, convey it to the Overseas Indian Affairs Minister and then see that something is done in this matter. It is not a question of Kerala or Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. Thousand of poor people who have gone there for their livelihood are being driven out. Somebody should come to their rescue. (Shri Tapan Kumar Sen, Shri Kumar Deepak Das, Shri P. Rajeeve, Shri Avinash Rai Khanna, Shri K.N. Balagopal and Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad associated.) THE MINISTER OF OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS (SHRI VAYALAR RAVI): The report has come to us some days ago. We asked for the report from the Ambassador and we gave the instruction to give them all the help. I decided to waive whatever 82 money given by them to my Ministry. Then, I wrote to the External Affairs Ministry and Minister of Civil Aviation to make necessary arrangements. In case, we have to bring them back, I am ready and I informed everybody accordingly. At the level of the Government, we can try to persuade the UAE Government to allow them to stay there with visa and to also allow them to work with their sponsor or employer. I hope the External Affairs Minister will also take it up. V. Complaint against the IRP Personnel Deployed at Zanskar Sub-division of Kargil District, Jammu and Kashmir SHRI TARUN VIJAY: I want to draw the attention of the Government towards the plight of Budhdhist community in Zanskar. They live under the freezing temperature. This whole area is adjacent to Chinese border. These are nationalist people. Religion of four families of this community has been converted forcibly last month. People of this community have been beaten by DSP of IRP battalion when they were protesting the fishing in their sacred lake, The Mansrover while fishing is prohibited there. Females of the community are severely injured in that incident.