IN the first week of the Monsoon session, both Houses of Parliament witnessed adjournment as the Left and other Opposition MPs demanded suspension of listed business to discuss issues such as spiralling inflation and enhanced GST rates on many essential commodities, the Agnipath scheme and growing autocracy. But the government carried out unprecedented assaults on Parliament with its refusal to discuss any substantial motions on burning issues of the people and the suspension of 27 members of Parliament from both Houses.

THE second part of the budget session of parliament started from March 14. In Rajya Sabha, Jharna Das Baidya took part in the discussion on the development of north eastern region. Though several rural development programmes are underway in the northeast, there are still major challenges and gaps in the poverty and livelihood sector. The project will have three-pronged approach to livelihood strengthening for achieving sustainable development. These are: social empowerment, economic empowerment and partnership and linkages.

PRESIDENT Ramnath Kovind kick-started the budget session of parliament with an address to both houses following which the Union Budget 2022-23 was presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The budget has quashed people’s expectations during the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic. Much awaited measures to strengthen the public sector, generate employment and control inflation have been neglected in the budget giving a clear indication that it is aimed to benefit only the rich.  

AS part of the discussion on climate change in the Lok Sabha this week, CPI(M) MP from Tamil Nadu, P R Natarajan asked, “Europe and North America got jolted out of their slumber on climate change impacts. When will the Modi government wake up?” He said that the union government has taken absolutely no measures to build resilience to climate change impacts in the country while making odd gestures to satisfy international interlocutors at climate summits regarding emission reductions.

THE Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die on August 11. During the entire Monsoon Session, a united opposition protested over the Pegasus snooping, farm laws, fuel price hike and other issues. But following an understanding between the opposition and the government, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021, or the OBC Bill, to allow states and union territories to prepare their own list of Other Backward Classes.