Parliament roundup: RS bids farewell to Naidu, Bill to amend Electricity Act & more

India

oi-Prakash KL

New Delhi, Aug 08: The monsoon session of Parliament has entered its final week. On the 15thh day of the ongoing session, the Rajya Sabha bid farewell to the outgoing Vice President and Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

On the other hand, the Lok Sabha, four days ahead of schedule, is likely to be adjourned sine die due to holidays – August 9 (Muharram) and August 11 (Raksha Bandhan), leaving two days of business.

Check out the major highlights of the day 15:

PM hails Naidu’s wit, one-liners as Rajya Sabha bids farewell to vice president

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said M Venkaiah Naidu’s witty one-liners were “revered, and never countered”, and hailed his highly productive five-year term as vice president of India and Rajya Sabha chairman.

Two days before Naidu demits office, the Rajya Sabha bade him farewell with Modi leading the House in lauding his tenure during which, the PM said, the productivity of the House as well as members’ attendance increased. “Your one-liners are wit-liners and win-liners as well… There is nothing left to be said after that. Your each word is heard, preferred, revered and never countered,” Modi said in his speech.

He said that during the five-year term, Naidu raised the standards of functioning of the House with his discipline and experience. “Under your leadership and discipline, the productivity of this House touched new heights.

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During your term, Rajya Sabha’s productivity has increased 70 per cent. Attendance of members in the House also increased,” Modi said, adding a record 177 bills were passed or discussed during these five years. Naidu completes his five-year term on August 10. The prime minister said there is both depth and substance in what Naidu says.

“There is warmth and wisdom too.” While Naidu’s experience and guidance benefited the MPs, he sometimes also scolded them, Modi said, adding he was sure that none would have taken his reprimands to heart. “You always stressed that disruptions beyond a point are equivalent to ‘avmanana’ (contempt or derogation) of the House,” he said, referring to the outgoing chairman. “I see the maturity of democracy in your principles.”

Bill in LS to amend Electricity Act

A bill to amend the Electricity Act to allow non-discriminatory open access to distribution networks of power suppliers was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday amid protests by the opposition, which claimed that it seeks to take away certain rights of state governments.

Power Minister R K Singh introduced the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 and urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer it to a parliamentary standing committee for wider consultations to address concerns raised by the opposition.

The Bill is aimed at allowing privatisation of electricity on the lines of communication. If the bill is passed in both the houses, customers will have the option to choose the supplier of electricity just like one can choose for telephone, mobile and internet services.

The bill seeks to amend section 42 of the Electricity Act to facilitate non-discriminatory open access to the distribution network of a distribution licensee. It also seeks to amend section 14 of the Act to facilitate usage of distribution networks by all licensees under provisions of non-discriminatory open access with the objective of enabling competition, enhancing efficiency of distribution licensees for improving services and ensuring sustainability of the power sector.

It also seeks to amend section 62 of the Act to make provisions vis-à-vis graded revision in tariff over a year besides mandatory fixing of maximum ceiling and minimum tariff by the appropriate commission. It provides for amending section 166 to strengthen functions that will be discharged by the regulators. The bill also seeks to amend section 146 to convert the rate of punishment from imprisonment or fine to fine. The bill, as tabled, will also amend section 152 to facilitate decriminalisation of offence as it would be mandatory to accept compounding.Speaker Birla takes exception to Oppn MP approaching minister during Question Hour

Speaker takes exception to Oppn MP approaching minister during Question Hour
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday took exception to an opposition MP walking up to a Union minister’s seat during Question Hour, saying no one should move around without his permission.

It was after the House discussed a supplementary question related to the availability of human resources in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh called Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy to explain the government’s position in private. When Birla noticed Roy at Singh’s seat, he asked the opposition member why he was with the minister. Roy replied that the minister called him.

Taking exception to this, the speaker said the minister could not call any member without his permission.