TUESDAY, THE 18TH APRIL, 2000 (The Rajya Sabha met in the Parliament House at 11.00 a.m.)

1. Oath or Affirmation Shri Praful Manoharbhai Patel () and Shri Ram Nath Kovind (Uttar Pradesh) made and subscribed oath and took their seats in the House.

11-02 a.m.

2. Starred Questions

The Starred Questions were orally answered. Starred Question No. 341 regarding Revenue collected from States during 1999-2000. Starred Question No. 342 regarding Reduction in rate of commission payable to Mahila Pradhan Agents under NSS. Starred Question No.343 regarding Tourist resort in Majuli Island of Assam. Starred Question No. 344 regarding Recovery of outstanding dues from Sahara Airlines. Starred Question No. 349 regarding Conditions applicable to the policy holders of NSS.

Answers to remaining questions (345 to 348 and 350 to 360) were laid on the Table.

3. Unstarred Questions Answers to Unstarred Question Nos.2599 to 2753 were laid on the Table.

12 Noon

4. Papers Laid on the Table Shri Ananth Kumar (Minister of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports) the following papers laid on the Table:-

I. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers, under sub-section (1) of section 619A of the Companies Act, 1956:—

18TH APRIL, 2000

(i) (a) Sixteenth Annual Report and Accounts of the Utkal Ashok Hotel Corporation Limited, Puri (Orissa), for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of thereon.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

(ii) (a) Fifteenth Annual Report and Accounts of the Madhya Pradesh Ashok Hotel Corporation Limited, Bhopal, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon..

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

(iii) (a) Twelfth Annual Report and Accounts of the Donyi Polo Ashok Hotel Corporation Limited, Itanagar, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon..

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

(iv) (a) Fifteenth Annual Report and Accounts of the Assam Ashok Hotel Corporation Limited, Guwahati, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

(v) (a) Fifteenth Annual Report and Accounts of the Ranchi Ashok Bihar Hotel Corporation Limited, Patna for the year 1997-98, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation

II. Statements (in English and Hindi) giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (I) above.

Shri Harin Pathak (Minister of State in the Ministry of Defene) laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Supplementary Action Taken Report on the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee.

Shri Tapan Sikdar (Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers :—

(I) The Board of Arbitration Award CA No.9(a) of 1980 i.e. reduction of working hours of operative offices of Department of Posts and Telecom announce on 21.2.1983.

(II) Statement by Government on the proposal not to accept the Award in Compulsory Arbitration Reference No.9(a) of 1980 announced on 21.2.1983 in respect of reduction of the working hours of the operative offices of the Department of Posts and Department of Telecommunications.

Dr. Debendra Pradhan (Minister of State in the Ministry of Surface Transport) laid on the Table a copy each of the following notifications (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Surface Transport , under sub-section (1) of Section 212 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 alongwith Explanatory Memoranda thereon:—

(i) G.S.R. 65(E) dated 25th January, 2000 publishing the Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2000.

(ii) G.S.R. 76(E) dated 31st January 2000 publishing the Central Motor Vehicles (2nd Amendment) Rules, 2000.

(iii) G.S.R. 77(E) dated 31st January 2000 publishing the Central Motor Vehicles (3rd Amendment) Rules, 2000.

18TH APRIL, 2000

(iv) G.S.R. 99(E) dated 9th February 2000 publishing the Central Motor Vehicles (4th Amendment) Rules, 2000.

(v) G.S.R. 110(E) dated 14th February, 2000 amending the Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 1998.

(vi) G.S.R. 127(E) dated 16th February, 2000 publishing the Central Motor Vehicles (Regulation of Bus Service Between New Delhi and Lahore) Rules, 2000.

(vii) G.S.R. 128(E) dated 16th February, 2000 publishing the Central Motor Vehicles (Regulation of Bus Service Between Calcutta and Dhaka) Rules, 2000.

(viii)G.S.R. 129(E) dated 16th February, 2000 publishing the Central Motor Vehicles (5th Amendment) Rules, 2000.

II. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Surface Transport. G.S.R. 57(E) dated 19th January, 2000 publishing the Merchant Shipping (Medical Examination) Rules, 2000, under sub-section (3) of Section 458 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.

III.(1) A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers, under section 106 and sub-section (2) of section 103 of the Major Port Trust Act, 1963:—

(i) (a) Annual Administration Report and Accounts of the Calcutta Port Trust, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Port Trust.

(ii) (a) Annual Administration Report and Accounts of the Chennai Port Trust, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Port Trust.

(2) Statements (in English and Hindi) giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (1) above.

Shri Tapan Sikdar** (Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications) laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Communications, (Department of Telecommunications) Notification No.25-1/98-TRAI (A & R) dated 13th December 1999 publishing the TRAI (Appointment of Casual Labourers) Regulation, 1999 alongwith a delay statement under Section 37 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.

12-02 p.m.

5. Reports of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy

Shri Santosh Bagrodia laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following Reports of the Standing Committee on Energy:—

(i) First Report on Demands for Grants (2000-2001) relating to the Department of Atomic Energy.

(ii) Second Report on Demands for Grants (2000-2001) relating to the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources.

(iii) Third Report on Demands for Grants (2000-2001) relating to the Ministry of Power.

12-03 p.m.

6. Report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs

Dr. Karan Singh laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Second Report of the Standing Committee on External Affairs on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of External Affairs for the year 2000-2001.

______** Spoke in Hindi. 18TH APRIL, 2000 12-04 p.m.

7. Government Bill — Introduced

The Delhi University (Amendment) Bill, 2000

Shri O. Rajagopal (Minister of State in the Ministries of Law, Justice and Company Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs) moved for leave to introduce a Bill further to amend the delhi University Act, 1922.

Motion was adopted.

Shri O. Rajagopal introduced the Bill.

12-05 p.m.

8. Special Mentions

1. Shri Narendra Mohan and Dr. Biplab Dasgupta raised a matter regarding Government's proposal to legislate on "Federal Crimes" enabling investigating agencies to investigate without permission of the State Governments.

12-24 p.m.

2. Shri Ram Deo Bhandary

3. Shri Nilotpal Basu

4. Shri R. Margabandu raised a matter regarding role of C.B.I. in the cases against Shri Laloo Prasad Yadav and Shrimati Rabri Devi.

1-16 p.m.

9. Message from the — Reported

Secretary-General reported to the House a message from the Lok Sabha informing the Rajya Sabha that the Lok Sabha at its sitting held on the 18th April, 2000 had adopted the following Motion:—

"That this House do recommend to Rajya Sabha that Rajya Sabha do elect two members of Rajya Sabha, in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, to the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit in the vacancies caused by the retirement of Sarvashri Onkar Singh Lakhawat and Sanjay Nirupam from Rajya Sabha and do communicate to this House the names of the members so elected by Rajya Sabha to the joint Committee."

(The House adjourned at 1.22 p.m. and reassembled at 2-24 p.m.) 2-29 p.m.

10. Reply to the Clarifications on the Statement By Minister

Shri Ram Naik (Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas) replied to the clarifications on the statement made by him on the 17th April, 2000 regarding increase in the prices of certain petroleum products with effect from the midnight of March 22-23, 2000.

3-01 p.m.

11. Motion of Thanks on the President's Address Shri M. moved 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 23, 2000."

3-52 p.m.

Shri Satishchandra Sitaram Pradhan** seconded the Motion.

4-25 p.m.

Amendments were moved by:— ______** Spoke in Hindi. 18TH APRIL, 2000

1. Shri Kapil Sibal

2. Shri E. Balanandan

3. Shri Suresh Pachouri

4. Shri Jibon Roy

5. Shrimati Sarla Maheshwari

6. Shrimati Saroj Dubey

7. Dr.

8. Shri Pranab Mukherjee

9. Shri S. Viduthalai Virumbi

10. Shri Dipankar Mukherjee

4-32 p.m.

Dr. Manmohan Singh took part in the discussion on the Motion and the Amendments moved thereto. The speech was not concluded.

The discussion was not concluded.

4-58 p.m.

12. Clarifications on the Statement by Minister Shri Ram Jethmalani (Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs) replied to the clarifications on the statement laid on the Table on the 28th February, 2000 by him regarding lawyers’ strike and incident that occurred in the vicinity of Parliament on the 24th February, 2000 and laid on the Table a copy each (in English) of the following papers:—

(i) D.O. Letter No.CJIS/SCI/NOM-C1/00 dated the 16th March, 2000 from Shri A.S. Anand, Chief Justice of India to Shri Ram Jethmalani, Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs; and (ii) Press Statement issued by representatives of the Delhi Bar Council (Shri B.S. Sherawat, Shri K.K. Sood, Shri Rajiv Khosla and Shri R.N. Vats) on the 29th February, 2000.

(The House adjourned at 7.14 p.m. till 11-00 a.m. on Wednesday, the 19th April, 2000) ______