THURSDAY, THE 14TH MARCH, 2002 (The Rajya Sabha met in the Parliament House at 11-00 a.m.) 11-00 a.m. 1. Starred Questions The following Starred Questions were orally answered:- Starred Question No. 161 regarding Territorial demarcation between India and Bangladesh. Starred Question No. 162 regarding Export of Basmati rice. Starred Question No. 164 regarding Procurement of paddy at MSP. Answers to remaining Starred Question Nos. 163, 165 to 180 were laid on the Table. 2. Unstarred Questions Answers to Unstarred Question Nos.1164 to 1318 were laid on the Table. 12 Noon 3. Papers Laid on the Table Shri Pramod Mahajan (Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Minister of Communications and Information Technology) laid on the Table the following papers:— I. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (Department of Information Technology) Notification G.S.R. No. 892 (E) dated 11th December, 2001 publishing the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout Design Rules, 2001, under sub-section (2)(i) of Section 96 of the Semiconductor Circuits Layout Design Act, 2000, II. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (Department of Information Technology) Notification G.S.R. No. 512 (E) dated 9th July, 2001 publishing the Information Technology (Certifying Authority) Regulations, 2001, under sub-section (3) of Section 89 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Shri Kariya Munda (Minister of Agro and Rural Industries) laid on the Table the following papers:- 14TH MARCH, 2002 (1) A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers, under sub- section (1) of section 19 of the Coir Industries Act, 1953:— (a) Forty-seventh Annual Report of the Coir Board, Kochi, for the year 2000- 2001, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. (b) Review by Government on the working of the above. (2) Statement (in English and Hindi) giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (I) above. Shri Shanta Kumar (Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution) laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (Department of Food & Public Distribution) Notification G.S.R. No. 96 (E) dated 11th February, 2002 publishing the Corrigendum to Notification No. 630 (E) dated 31st August, 2001. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) B.C. Khanduri (Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways) laid on the Table the following papers:- I. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Notification of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Notification S.O. No. 93(E) dated 22nd January, 2002 publishing the Corrigendum to Notification S.O. No.1192 (E) dated 3rd December, 2001 II. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following Notifications of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, under Section 10 of the National Highways Act, 1956:— (1) S.O. No. 1067 (E) dated 29th October, 2001 omitting National Highway No. 203 in Orissa specified against Sl. No. 73 in the Schedule to the said Act from that Schedule. (2) S.O. No. 1068 (E) dated 29th October, 2001 declaring National Highway No. 203 with a new alignment. (3) S.O. No. 1138 (E) dated 29th November, 2001 notifying the levies and paid fees on mechanical vehicles for the use of permanent bridge across Shakti Nallah on National Highway No.6 at Km. 235/2 in Chhattisgarh State along with delay statement. RAJYA SABHA (4) S.O. No. 1149 (E) dated 21st November, 2001 declaring National Highway- 79A in Rajasthan with new alignment. (5) S.O. No. 1191 (E) dated 3rd December, 2001 amending the notification of the Govt. of India, in the erstwhile Ministry of Transport, No S. R. O. 1181 dated 4th April, 1957. (6) S.O. No. 1192 (E) dated 3rd December, 2001 entrusting certain stretches to the National Highways Authority of India. (7) S.O. No. 876 (E) dated 4th December, 2001 amending the National Highways (Fees for the use of National Highway Section and permanent Bridge Public Funded Projects) Rules, 1997. (8) S.O. No. 877 (E) dated 4th December, 2001 amending the National Highways (Rate of Fee) Rules, 1997. (9) S.O. No. 12 (E) dated 3rd January, 2002 amending the notification of the Govt. of India in the erstwhile Ministry of Transport No. S.R.O. 1181 dated 4th April, 1957. (10) S.O. No. 13 (E) dated 3rd January, 2002 entrusting the execution of the work relating to development and maintenance of the National Highway No. 16 (from Km. 205/0 to 235/0) (from Chennur to Arjungutta) in Andhra Pradesh to Border Roads Organisation under Border Road Development Board until further orders. (11) S.O. No. 175 (E) dated 7th February, 2002 notifying the rate of fee to be recovered from the users of stretch between Km.398.75 to Km.512.4 (Km.398.75 to Km. 441.44 in Jharkaahand State and Km. 441.44 to Km.512.4 in West Bengal) Section of National Highway No. 2. (12) S.O. No. 181 (E) dated 8th February, 2002 authorizing the acquisition of land for widening of National Highway No. 5 from Km. 11/0 to Km. 52/800 and 57.450 to Km. 60.000 (Madras-Vijayawada Section) in District Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. (13) S.O. No. 192 (E) dated, 12th February, 2002 notifying the widening of National Highways No. 5 from Km. 52.800 to Km. 237.000 (Madras- Vijayawada Section) in Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh.

14TH MARCH, 2002 (14) S.O. No. 208 (E) dated 15th January, 2002 entrusting the management of National Highway 27 to the State Government of Uttar Pradesh for a period of five years. (15) S.O. No. 209 (E) dated 15th January, 2002 amending the Notification of the Government of India, in the erstwhile Ministry of Transport No. S.R. O. 1181 dated 4th April, 1957. Smt. Vasundhara Raje (Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Small Scale Industries, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance & Pensions, Ministry of Planning, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers:— (i) (a) Annual Report of the Central Vigilance Commission, New Delhi, for the period 1.1.1999 to 31.12.1999. (b) Memorandum explaining reasons for non-acceptance of the Commission’s advice. (ii) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Institute for Design of Electrical Measuring Instruments, Mumbai, for the year 2000-2001, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. (b) Statement by Government accepting the above Report. (iii) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Process Cum Product Development Centre, Agra, for the year 2000-2001, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. (b) Statement by Government accepting the above Report. (iv) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Central Institute of Hand Tools, Jalandhar, for the year 2000-2001, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. (b) Statement by Government accepting the above Report. Shri Muni Lall (Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers:— (a) Forty-eighth Annual Report of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, New Delhi, for the year 2000-2001. RAJYA SABHA (b) Consolidated Annual Accounts of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, New Delhi, for the year 2000-2001, and the Audit Report thereon. (c) Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (a) and (b) above. Shri Omar Abdullah (Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs) laid on the Table the following papers:- I. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following Notifications of the Ministry of External Affairs under sub-section (3) of Section 24 of the Passports Act, 1967:— (1) G.S.R. No. 527 (E) dated 13th July, 2001publishing the Passport (Amendment) Rules, 2001. (2) G.S.R. No. 576 (E) dated 2nd August, 2001 publishing the Passport (Amendment) Rules, 2001. II. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following Notifications of the Ministry of External Affairs:— (1) G.S.R. No. 817 (E) dated 29th October, 2001 publishing the Corrigendum to Notification G.S.R. No. 576(E) dated 2nd August, 2001. (2) G.S.R. No. 879 (E) dated 5th December, 2001 publishing the Corrigendum to Notification G.S.R. No.527 (E) dated 13th July, 2001. Shri Tapan Sikdar (Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology) laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (Department of Tele Communications) Notification G.S.R. No. 413 (E) dated 4th June, 2001 publishing the Indian Telegraph First (Amendment) Rules, 2001 under sub-section (5) of Section 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. Shri V. Sreenivasa Prasad (Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution) laid on the Table the following papers:-

14TH MARCH, 2002 I. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following Notifications of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (Department of Consumer Affairs) under sub-section (4) of Section 83 of the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976:— (1) G.S.R. No. 842 (E) dated 9th November, 2001 publishing the Standards of Weights and Measures (General) (Second Amendment) Rules, 2001. (2) G.S.R. No. 869 (E) dated 27th November, 2001 publishing the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) 3rd Amendment Rules, 2001. (3) G.S.R. No. 551 (E) dated 25th July, 2001 publishing the Standards of Weights and Measures (General) Amendment Rules, 2001 along with delay statement. II. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (Department of Consumer Affairs) Notification G.S.R. No. 843 (E) dated 9th November, 2001 publishing the Clinical Thermometers (Quality Control), Order, 2001 under Section 39 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986. Shri EV alias Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil (Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance) laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the following papers:— (a) Consolidated Review on working of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) for the ended 31st March, 2001. (b) Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (a) above. 12-01 p.m. 4. Reports of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation Shri Dipankar Mukherjee presented the following Reports (in English and Hindi) of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation:— (i) Hundred and Thirty-eighth Report on Rules/Regulations examined by the Committee; (ii) Hundred and Thirty-ninth Report on Statutory Orders laid on the Table of the Rajya Sabha during its 194th Session; and RAJYA SABHA (iii) Hundred and Fortieth Report on the Ministry of Finance Notification S.O. No. 995 (E) dated 3rd November, 2000 regarding approval of GIC as “Indian Reinsurer” under Section 101A(8) (ii) of the Insurance Act, 1938- Implementation of 134th Report of the Committee. 5. Reports of the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table Shri Yadlapati Venkat Rao presented the following Reports (in English and Hindi) of the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table:— (i) Seventy-ninth Report regarding Government Notifications/Orders and Annual Reports & Audited Accounts of Government Companies/Organisations Laid on the Table of Rajya Sabha during the 193rd Session; and (ii) Eightieth Report regarding delayed laying of Annual Reports & Audited Accounts of Coffee Board, Bangalore, Karnataka Agro Industries Corporation Ltd., Bangalore, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and Cochin Port Trust, Cochin. 6. Reports of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development I. Prof. R.B.S. Varma presented the Hundred-fourteenth Report (in English and Hindi) of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development on Implementation of Elementary Education Schemes. II. Shrimati Vanga Geetha presented the Hundred-fifteenth Report (in English and Hindi) of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development on Action Taken by Government on the recommendations/observations contained in the 31st Report on Functioning of Central Government Hospitals. 7. Reports of the Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development Ven’ble Dhammaviriyo laid on the Table a copy each (in English & Hindi) of the following Reports of the Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development (2002) (Thirteenth Lok Sabha):— 14TH MARCH, 2002 (i) Twenty-seventh report on the action taken by the Government on the recommendations contained in the 21st Report (13th Lok Sabha) on Demands for Grants (2001-2002) of the Department of Drinking Water Supply (Ministry of Rural Development); (ii) Twenty-eighth report on the action taken by the Government on the recommendations contained in the 22nd Report (13th Lok Sabha) on Demands for Grants (2001-2002) of the Department of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural Development); (iii) Twenty-ninth report of the action taken by the Government on the recommendations contained in the 23rd Report (13th Lok Sabha) on Demands for Grants (2001-2002) of the Department of Urban Development (Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation); (iv) Thirtieth report on the action taken by the Government on the action taken by the Government on the recommendations contained in the 24th Report (13th Lok Sabha) on Demands for Grants (2001-2002) of the Department of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation (Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation); and (v) Thirty-first report on the action taken by the Government on the recommendations contained in the 25th Report (13th Lok Sabha) on Demands for Grants (2001-2002) of the Department of Rural Development (Ministry of Rural Development). 12-02 p.m. 8. Announcement by Chair The Chairman made the following announcement in the House:— “I have to inform Members that I had received a letter from Shri Mohd. Azam Khan, a Member representing the State of Uttar Pradesh resigning his seat in the Rajya Sabha. I had accepted his resignation with effect from the 9th March, 2002.” RAJYA SABHA 12-03 p.m. 9. Leave of Absence Shri Santosh Bagrodia (Rajasthan) was granted leave of absence from the sittings of the House from 13th March, 2002 till the end of the current Session of the Rajya Sabha. 12-04 p.m. 10. Motion of Thanks on the President's Address Further discussion on the following Motion moved by Dr. Mahesh Chandra Sharma on the 13th March, 2002, continued. “That an Address be presented to the President in the following terms:— ‘That the Members of the Rajya Sabha assembled in this Session are deeply grateful to the President for the Address which he has been pleased to deliver to both Houses of Parliament assembled together on February 25, 2002.’ " Shri B.J. Panda while seconding the Motion concluded his speech. 12-30 p.m. Amendments were moved by — Dr. Dasari Narayana Rao Shri Rama Shanker Kaushik Shri Jibon Roy Shri Dipankar Mukherjee Shrimati Chandra Kala Pandey Shrimati Sarla Maheshwari Shri Nagendra Nath Ojha Shri Pranab Mukherjee Shri Vijay Singh Yadav Shri R. Kamaraj The following Members took part in the discussion on the Motion and the Amendments moved thereto:— 12-32 p.m. 1. Shri Pranab Mukherjee (The House adjourned at 1-00 p.m. and re-assembled at 2-00 p.m.)

14TH MARCH, 2002

2-25 p.m.$$ 2. Shri S. Ramachandran Pillai 2-50 p.m. 3. Shri Vikram Verma** 3-18 p.m. 4. Shri Moolchand Meena** 3-45 p.m. 5. Shri C.P. Thirunavukkarasu 3-54 p.m. 6. Shri Ram Nath Kovind** 4-12 p.m. 7. Dr. V. Maitreyan** 4-31 p.m. 8. Dr. M.N. Das 4-48 p.m. 9. Shri Nagendra Nath Ojha** (speech unfinished) The discussion was not concluded. 5-00 p.m. 11. Statement by Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister made a statement on the issue of current situation in Ayodhya in the wake of Supreme Court’s Judgement on the 13th March, 2002. 6-20 p.m. 12. Statement by Minister Dr. C.P. Thakur, Minister of Health and Family Welfare laid on the Table a statement (in English and Hindi) regarding outbreak of pneumonic plague in Himachal Pradesh.

(The House adjourned at 6-21 p.m. till 11-00 a.m. on Friday, the 15th March, 2002) ______

______$$ From 2-00 p.m. to 2-05 p.m. Some points were raised and From 2-05 to 2-25 p.m. Shri Pranab Mukherjee continued his speech. ** Spoke in Hindi.