LOK SABHA ___ SYNOPSIS OF DEBATES (Proceedings other than Questions & Answers) ______ Tuesday, January 2, 2018/Pausha 12, 1939 (Saka) ______ FELICITATION BY THE SPEAKER HON'BLE SPEAKER: I wish you all a very happy new year. May this year be auspicious for you all. _______ REFERENCE BY SPEAKER HON'BLE SPEAKER: Hon'ble Members, in a dastardly terrorist attack, 5 security personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force were martyred when heavily armed terrorists stormed a security camp in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on 31 December, 2017. The House expresses its profound sorrow on this cowardly attack which has brought pain and suffering to the families of deceased. The Members, then, stood in silence for a short while. ______ STATEMENT BY MINISTER Re: Introduction of the Scheme of Electoral Bonds THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND MINISTER OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SHRI ARUN JAITLEY): I had announced in the Budget Speech of 2017-2018 to bring in a scheme of Electoral Bonds to clean the system of political funding in the country. The Government has now finalised the scheme of Electoral Bonds. The Scheme will be notified today. Broad contours of the Scheme are: Electoral Bond would be a bearer instrument in the nature of a Promissory Note and an interest free banking instrument. A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond. Electoral bond would be issued/purchased for any value, in multiple of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 10,000, Rs. 10,00,000 and Rs. 1,00,00,000 from the specified branches of the State Bank of India (SBI). The purchaser would be allowed to buy electoral bond(s) only on due fulfilment of all the extant KYC norms and by making payment from a bank account. It will not carry the name of payee. Electoral Bonds would have a life of only 15 days during which it can be used for making donation only to the political parties registered under section 29A of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last general election to the House of the People or Legislative Assembly. The bonds under the Scheme shall be available for purchase for a period of 10 days each in the months of January, April, July and October, as may be specified by the Central Government. An additional period of 30 days shall be specified by the Central Government in the year of the General election to the House of People. The bond shall be encashed by an eligible political party only through a designated bank account with the authorised bank. ______ MOTION Re: Appointment of Member of Rajya Sabha to the Joint Committee on the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Second Bill, 2015 SHRI GANESH SINGH moved that this House do recommend to Rajya Sabha that Rajya Sabha do appoint one member of Rajya Sabha to serve as member of the Joint Committee on the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Second Bill, 2015 vice Shri Sharad Yadav, ceased to be a member of the Joint Committee on disqualification of his membership from the Rajya Sabha and do communicate to this House the name of the member so appointed by Rajya Sabha to the Joint Committee. The motion was adopted. ______ STATUTORY RESOLUTION Re: Increase in basic Customs Duty on various goods THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI SHIV PRATAP SHUKLA) moved that in pursuance of section 8A(1) of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, read with sub-section (3) of section 7 of the said Act, this House hereby approves of No.91/2017-Customs, dated 14th December, 2017 [G.S.R.1514 (E). dated 14th December, 2017] which seeks to increase the basic customs duty (BCD) on the following goods, as under:- Tariff Head/ Description From To Sub-Head/ Item 8516 50 00 Microwave Ovens 10% 20% 8517 12 10 Telephones for cellular networks 10% 15% or for other wireless networks (push button type) 8517 12 90 Telephones for cellular networks 10% 15% or for other wireless networks (other than push button type) 8521 90 90 Other video recording or 10% 15% reproducing apparatus, whether or not incorporating a video tuner 8525 80 Television cameras, digital 10% 15% cameras and video camera recorders 8528 71 00 Reception apparatus for 10% 20% television not designed to incorporate a video display or screen [whether or not incorporating radio broadcast receivers or sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus] 8528 72 Other color reception apparatus 10% 20% for television, whether or not incorporating radio broadcast receivers or sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus 8539 50 00 Light-emitting diode (LED) 10% 20% lamps 9028 30 Electricity meters 10% 15% 9405 Lamps and lighting fittings 10% 20% including searchlights and spotlights and parts thereof, not elsewhere specified or included; illuminated signs, illuminated name-plates and the like, having a permanently fixed light source, and parts thereof not elsewhere specified or included. The Resolution was adopted. _______ SUBMISSIONS BY MEMBERS (1) Re: Recent attack on CRPF training centre in Pulwama THE MINISTER OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS; AND MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ANANTHKUMAR) responding to the issue raised by several Members, said: The entire country expresses its profound sorrow for the soldiers who have been martyred in Pulwama. We pay our tribute to them. Our security forces were successful in eliminating three infiltrating terrorists. Indian Army has eliminated more than 200 hundred terrorists during the last one year. If someone has to be given credit for this war, we should solute our martyrs and credit must go to our valiant soldiers. The Union Government has made every effort during the last three and a half years from carrying out surgical strike to ensuring the security of our borders. THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR) also responding, said: The entire country expresses its profound sorrow on the incident that took place yesterday. At around 3:35 a.m. on 31st December, 2017, three terrorists equipped with large quantity of sophisticated weapons attacked the Central Reserve Police Forces' Group Center, 185 battalion located at Lethpura, Pulwama. The terrorists entered the Administrative Bock of the Center amid a volley of fire and throwing of grenade. In the initial exchange of fire, three jawans of the CRPF got hit by the bullets. Immediately after getting information about the incident, 50 RR&SOGC Units of the Army reached over there and the encounter started. During the retaliatory action, three other jawans of the CRPF were martyred. The other injured jawans were admitted into the 92 base hospital of the Army located at Badami Bagh. During this action, an officer has been confirmed dead due to heart attack. During the action of the security forces, two terrorists were killed. During the search operation restarted on 1st January, 2018, another terrorist hiding inside started firing on security forces who was killed in the counter attack. Three security personnel were also injured in this attack. There has been partial damage to the administrative building of the Group Center of the CRPF located at Pulwama during this attack and an F.I.R. has been registered in this regard. The General Philip Compose Committee Report related to the security of the camps meant for ensuring security. The Defence Ministry is also working on this report. The fund provided for police modernization will also be utilized for the modernization of the police force of the State. From 2010 to 2013, 1218 terrorist incidents took place. From 2014 to 2017, these numbers have declined to 1094 incidents. Besides, from 2010 to 2013, 108 citizens lost their lives in terrorist incidents. However, since the advent of this Government only, 100 citizens have lost their lives from 2014 to 2017. This number has also witnessed a decline. At the same time, I would like to submit that during the encounters of the terrorists by our Armed Forces, 471 terrorists had been killed from 2010 to 2013, while from 2014 to 2017, 580 terrorists have been eliminated. This is an achievement of the Government. The Government does not leave any stone unturned in combating the terrorists and is committed to provide all the equipments to security forces for their modernization. (2) Re: Need to resolve drinking water problem in Karnataka THE MINISTER OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS; AND MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ANANTHKUMAR) responding to the issue raised by several hon. Members, said: On Mahadayi issue the hon. Chief Minister of Goa has already written a letter to the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri B.S. Yeddyurappa to provide 7.56 TMC feet of water for drinking purposes. He is ready to have an outside tribunal negotiation. Now, it is the responsibility of the Chief Minister of Karnataka to have talks with the Goa Chief Minister because Goa Chief Minister has already come one step forward. We should better utilize this opportunity in the interest of the farmers and for drinking water purposes because we have the drought-prone area in North Karnataka. ______ *MATTERS UNDER RULE 377 1. SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA laid a statement regarding need to set up animal shelters with proper fodder and water facility for 'Anna Pratha' cattle causing damage to crops in Banda and Chitrakoot districts of Uttar Pradesh. 2. SHRI BHANU PRATAP SINGH VERMA laid a statement regarding need to set up a training centre of para-military force in Madhogarh Tehsil of Jalaun Parliamentary Constituency, Uttar Pradesh.