MONDAY, THE 28TH NOVEMBER, 2005 (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.61 regarding Amendments to Wakf Act. Starred Question No.62 regarding Merger of Mid-Day Meal programme with S.S.A. Starred Question No.64 regarding Elementary education and SSA in NE States. Starred Question No.65 regarding Accountability of foreign channel operators. Starred Question No.66 regarding Illegal mining. Answers to remaining Starred Question Nos. 63 and 67 to 80 were laid on the Table. 2. Unstarred Questions Answers to Unstarred Question Nos. 440 to 579 were laid on the Table. 12-00 Noon 3. Matters raised with permission (1) Shri Jaswant Singh, Leader of the Opposition raised a matter regarding need to share the information/docments procured by Shri Viren Dayal from the United Nations in connection with the enquiry instituted by the Government on the findings of the Volcker Committee Report. Shri Suresh Pachouri,** Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs responded. $(2) Shri P.G. Narayanan raised a matter regarding damage to standing crops and loss of human lives due to torrential rains and floods in Tamil Nadu and need to send a Central Team to assess the damage. _______________________________________________________________ $ At 12-13 p.m. ** Spoke in Hindi. RAJYA SABHA Shri V. Narayanasamy also spoke. Shri Shivraj Vishwanath Patil, Minister of Home Affairs, responded. 12-07 p.m. 4. Papers Laid on the Table Shri Md. Ali Ashraf Fatmi (Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers:— (i) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi, for the year 2003-2004, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. (b) Review by Government on the working of the above Council. (c) Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (a) above. (ii) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, for the year 2003-2004, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. (b) Review by Government on the working of the above Institute. (c) Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (a) above. Smt. Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan (Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers :— (i) (a) Twentieth Annual Report on the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, for the year 2003, under sub-section (4) of section 21 of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. (b) Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the paper mentioned at (a) above. (ii) (a) Twenty-third Annual Report on the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, for the year 2003, under sub-section (4) of section 15A of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955. 28TH NOVEMBER, 2005 (b) Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the paper mentioned at (a) above. (iii) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment) and the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), for the year 2005- 2006. 12-08 p.m. 5. Report of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs Shrimati Sushma Swaraj presented the One Hundred and Seventeenth Report (in English and Hindi) of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on the Action Taken by the Government on the recommendations contained in the Eighty-third Reportof the Committee pertaining to the Personnel Policy of Central Industrial Security Force. 6. Report of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Tarlochan Singh laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ninth Report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (2005-2006) on “Working of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation”. 12-09 p.m. 7. Recommendation of the Business Advisory Committee The Hon’ble Chairman Informed Members that the Business Advisory Committee in its meeting held on Friday the 25th November, 2005, has allotted time for the Government Legislative Business, as follows:- BUSINESS TIME ALLOTTED 1. Consideration and passing of the following Bills: — (a) The Manipur University (No.2) Bill, 2005, replacing the 2 Hours Manipur University Ordinance, 2005 (No.3 of 2005), promulgated by the President on the 13th October, 2005. RAJYA SABHA (b) The Chartered Accountants (Amendment) Bill, 2003. 4 Hours [To be discussed (c) The Cost and Works Accountants (Amendment) Bill, together] 2003. (d) The Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2003. (e) The Disaster Management Bill, 2005. 4 Hours 2. Consideration and passing of the following Bills, after they have been passed by Lok Sabha: — (a) The Punjab General Sales Tax (as in force in the Union Half-an-hour Territory of Chandigarh) Repeal Bill, 2005. (b) The National Tax Tribunal Bill, 2004. 3 Hours (c) The Prevention of Insults to National Honour 3 Hours (Amendment) Bill, 2005. [To be discussed (d) The State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) together] ” Bill, 2004. 12-10 p.m. 8. Leave of Absence Dr. K. Kasturirangan (Nominated) was granted leave of absence from 28th November to 17th December, 2005 during the current session of the Rajya Sabha. 12-11 p.m. 9. Motion for Election to the Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore A motion for election of one member to the Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore was moved and adopted. 12-17 p.m.@ 10. Special Mentions 12-17 p.m. 1. Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy raised a matter regarding demand for early clearance of various projects of Andhra Pradesh pending with the Environment and Forest Ministry. _______________________________________________________________@ From 12-13 p.m. to 12-17 p.m. see item no.3(2) 28TH NOVEMBER, 2005 12-19 p.m. 2. Shri Vijay J. Darda raised a matter regarding concern over the extent of poverty in the country. 12-22 p.m. 3. Shri Harish Rawat** raised a matter regarding demand to employ the trained rural health workers under the new Rural Health Scheme. 12-24 p.m. 4. Shrimati N.P. Durga raised a matter regarding demand for release of central funds to Andhra Pradesh for floods relief. 12-26 p.m. 5. Shri Sharad Anantrao Joshi raised a matter regarding concern over suicide by farmers in Vidarbha in Maharashtra. 12-29 p.m. 6. Shri Janardhana Poojary raised a matter regarding concern over floods in Karnataka. 12-31 p.m. 7. Shri C. Ramachandraiah raised a matter regarding concern over depletion of ground water level in various parts of the country. 12-33 p.m. 8. Shri N.K. Premachandran raised a matter regarding demand for revival of Parvathy Mill (NTC) in Kollam, Kerala. 12-35 p.m. 9. Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy raised a matter regarding demand for proper study to find out the level of dioxins present in eggs, meat and milk products in the country. 12-36 p.m. 10. Shri Kalraj Mishra** raised a matter regarding concern over the death of infants in the country. _______________________________________________________________** Spoke in Hindi. RAJYA SABHA 12-38 p.m. 11. Shrimati Vanga Geetha raised a matter regarding concern over old railway bridges and culverts in the country. 12-40 p.m. 12. Shri Santosh Bagrodia raised a matter regarding demand for release of remaining share of 0.60 MAF water of Ravi-Beas by Punjab to Rajasthan. 12-42 p.m. 13. Shrimati Prema Cariappa raised a matter regarding demand to restrict import of arecanut and announcing minimum support price of arecanut to protect arecanut growers of Karnataka and other parts of the country. 12-45 p.m. 14. Shri Kripal Parmar** raised a matter regarding demand to make compulsory the installation of Telephones recommended by the Members of Parliament. 12-47 p.m. 15. Dr. Chhattrapal Singh Lodha** raised a matter regarding demand to make available fertilizers and seeds as per the demand of the farmers. 12-48 p.m. 16. Shri Penumalli Madhu raised a matter regarding demand for central legislation to restore reservations in private professional colleges in the country. Shri S. Jaipal Reddy, Minister of Culture and Urban Development, responded. 12-54 p.m. 17. Shri Rama Muni Reddy Sirigireddy raised a matter regarding demand to ban violence, obscenity, remixes, etc. in films and television programmes. _______________________________________________________________** Spoke in Hindi. 28TH NOVEMBER, 2005 12-56 p.m. 18. Shri M.P. Abdussamad Samadani raised a matter regarding concern over repeated incidents of ragging in some colleges in the country. (The House adjourned at 12-59 p.m. and re-assembled at 2-01 p.m.) 2-01 p.m. 11. Government Bill — Passed The Disaster Management Bill, 2005. Shri Shivraj Vishwanath Patil (Minister of Home Affairs) moved that the Disaster Management Bill, 2005 be taken into consideration. 2-25 p.m.# 1. Shri S.S. Ahluwalia** 2-51 p.m. 2. Shri Jairam Ramesh 3-17 p.m. 3. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee 3-27 p.m. 4. Shri Shahid Siddiqui% 3-40 p.m. 5. Shri N. Jothi 4-07 p.m. 6. Shrimati Vanga Geetha 4-14 p.m. 7. Shri V. Narayanasamy 4-30 p.m. 8. Shri N.K. Premachandran 4-44 p.m. 9. Shri Kripal Parmar** 4-53 p.m.