LOK SABHA ___ SYNOPSIS OF DEBATES (Proceedings other than Questions & Answers) ______ Wednesday, March 11, 2015 / Phalguna 20, 1936 (Saka) ______ STATEMENT BY MINISTER Re: Landing of world’s first solar powered aircraft ‘Solar Impulse-Ii’ In Ahmedabad on10th March, 2015 THE MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES (DR. HARSH VARDHAN): Respected Madam and hon. Members, I seek your attention for only two or three minutes. I wish to bring to the attention of this august House a development in the world of Science and Technology which is of most profound importance for the future of not only Indian economy and society but also the survival of the human civilization which is threatened by over-exploitation of nature and climate change. Last night, at 11.24 p.m, Ahmedabad witnessed the historic landing of the world’s first solar powered aircraft which began a global tour on Monday, the 11th March, 2015. The aircraft is named as Solar Impulse – II (Si-II). Si-II is capable of flying day and night on only solar power. It is on a mission to spread information about the fantastic possibilities of life free of fossil fuels. Its success will serve to convince all humanity that sun is the supreme source of energy with limitless powers. It is also the major source of power which renews itself everyday and forever. Hon. Members of the House, as the country’s Minister of Science and Technology, I feel it is my honour to congratulate on your behalf and on behalf of everyone else, the scientists, the technicians, publicists and last but not least, the two pilots of Si-II, Mr. Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg for their commitment and dedication to the vision of a cleaner and greener world. I think the entire community of Indian scientists working on the making solar power cheaper and more efficiently are greatly enthused by Si-II’s landing in our country. The plane is made entirely of carbon fibre and has a wing span of 226 feet but it weighs only 2.3 tonnes. It is almost as big as an Airbus A-380 which is currently the biggest aircraft powered by fossil fuels but about 250 times lighter. Si-II carries more than 17,000 photo-voltaic cells rated at 66 kilowatts peak. At present, its maximum speed is about 140 kilometres per hour which is as fast as a fighter plane of World War-I. Madam Speaker, through you, I wish to urge every hon. Member present today to carry the message in grain to the Si-II mission, recognize and celebrate Surya Shakti – the power of the sun. The significance of Ahmedabad as choice of first landing in India should not be missed. It is the Capital of Gujarat, the State that has pioneered large scale harnessing and distribution of solar energy for every day use. In 2009, Gujarat became the first State in India and Asia to have established a Department of Climate Change to counter the threat to the planet posed by over-use of fossil fuels. Shri Narendra Modi Ji, who was then the Chief Minister made the Gujarat Solar Park the largest hub of solar power generation in Asia, currently producing more than 1,000 megawatts. Now, as Prime Minister, Modi Ji has set sights on India generating 100 gigawatts of Solar Power by 2022. Madam Speaker, I am sure that all those who believe this is impossible will be persuaded otherwise by the presence today in our midst of Si-II and its courageous crew and team members. The Si-II flights landing in India serves to persuade those who still harbour misgivings on the possibilities of solar power. This may not result in aircraft companies manufacturing solar based planes overnight but that is bound to happen within the next 10-15 years. But before that we must ensure that coal, oil, wood and all traditional forms of energy for daily needs become history. I thank the Government of Switzerland and the large number of R&D and business organizations, both Indian and foreign, that have made Si-II possible. The aircraft and its crew are expected to take off to Varanasi on March 15. After that, it will fly to Myanmar and then to China. Its biggest feat would be to cross the Pacific Ocean, to the United States and then the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. On behalf of the entire scientific community of India and this House, I wish the project all success on behalf of all of you. SUBMISSION BY MEMBERS Re: New evidence which has come to light in respect of release of Masarat Alam, a separatist leader from Jammu and Kashmir THE MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT, MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU) responding to an issue raised by several hon. Members said: In my view this is a very serious issue and it should not be politicised. The hon. Home Minister has already given a statement in this regard. He had said that he will seek information in this regard from the State Government. I had talks with the Home Minister today in this regard. Right now the hon. Minister is busy in the other House and once he is free from there he will definitely give a statement today itself or tomorrow. He had promised that he will apprised the House after obtaining complete information on this issue. He will give a clarification in this regard today or tomorrow. There is no question of misleading anyone or compromising with the national security. Making political comments will not help at all rather it will only harm the country. *MATTERS UNDER RULE 377 (i) SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI laid a statement regarding need to relax the norms pertaining to opium production on account of recent unseasonal rains in Chittorgarh Parliamentary Constituency, Rajasthan and Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh. (ii) SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI laid a statement regarding need to bring National Family Benefit Scheme and Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme under Mahila Kalyan Vibhag in Uttar Pradesh. (iii) SHRI HUKUM SINGH laid a statement regarding need to conduct a CBI enquiry into alleged illegal mining and stone crushing in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. (iv) SHRI HARI MANJHI laid a statement regarding need to ensure electrification of remaining villages under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana in Gaya Parliamentary Constituency, Bihar. * Laid on the Table as directed by the Speaker. (v) DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY laid a statement regarding need to take suitable steps to check the menace of wild boars damaging crops in Chandauli Parliamentary Constituency, Uttar Pradesh. (vi) SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY laid a statement regarding need to undertake repair of roads constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in Buxar, Bhagalpur and Banka districts of Bihar and also expedite construction of sanctioned road projects. (vii) SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL laid a statement regarding need to construct a railway line between Meerut and Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh. (viii) DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR laid a statement regarding need to formulate a comprehensive programme to protect children from socio-economic evils. (ix) SHRI DEVENDRA SINGH BHOLE laid a statement regarding need to provide sewerage and drainage system in Kanpur Nagar and Kanpur Dehat in Akbarpur Parliamentary Constituency, Uttar Pradesh under Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. (x) DR. BHOLA SINGH laid a statement regarding need to permit sale and purchase of land surrounding Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary in Begusarai district of Bihar. (xi) SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN laid a statement regarding need to ban import of natural rubber. (xii) SHRI RAJEEV SATAV laid a statement regarding need to provide adequate compensation to farmers in Maharashtra arising out of damage to their crops due to unseasonal rains. (xiii) SHRI K.R.P. PRABAKARAN laid a statement regarding need to re- open Kavalkinaru railway station in Tamil Nadu. (xiv) DR. RATNA (NAG) DE laid a statement regarding need to take effective measures to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate in the country. (xv) DR. KULMANI SAMAL laid a statement regarding need to open bank branches in all the gram panchayats of Odisha. (xvi) SHRI ARVIND SAWANT laid a statement regarding need to undertake cadre review of Scientific Staff in the Indian meteorological Department. (xvii) SHRI M. MURLI MOHAN laid a statement regarding need to set up a Railway University at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. (xviii) SHRI PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA laid a statement regarding need to develop Anandpur Sahib in Punjab as a pilgrim and tourist hub. BUDGET (RAILWAYS), 2015-2016 - GENERAL DISCUSSION DEMANDS FOR GRANTS ON ACCOUNT (RAILWAYS), 2015-2016 SUPPLEMENTARY DEMANDS FOR GRANTS (RAILWAYS), 2014-2015 AND RESOLUTIONS Re: Appointment of Parliamentary Committee & Recommendation to Rajya Sabha THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS (SHRI SURESH PRABHU) moving the resolutions said: I am very happy to announce that in the morning we signed an agreement with the Life Insurance Corporation of India to give to the Ministry of Railways Rs.1,50,000 crore and in the course of next five years, to finance various railway projects. In fact, the repayment will happen only after 30 years. So, this is something which will be in the interest of the Railways as well as the LIC. This is also, in fact the fulfillment of our commitment that we will find extra budgetary resources which will be far in excess of what has been contemplated earlier to fulfill the aspirations of the large number of population of India by finding out resources, not just increasing the fares on the passengers or only increasing the tariff or relying on the gross budgetary support.