THIS week Parliament mainly had discussions on various important Bills. On the first day, the Rajya Sabha discussed the Finance Bill. The government has come under heavy criticism from the opposition for some of the alterations made to the Finance Bill. Being a Money Bill, the Lok Sabha, where the BJP has a majority, can choose to accept or reject the changes proposed by the Upper House to the Finance Bill. The opposition leaders claimed that it was an attempt to push through far-reaching, non-financial changes bypassing the Rajya Sabha.

THE second phase of Budget Session began on March 9. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on the first day without transacting any business as a mark of respect to sitting member Haji Abdul Salam who died recently. Salam represented Manipur in the Upper House.Sitaram Yechury raised the matter regarding alleged attack on academic freedom in Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University and pointed out that these universities have been established by law enacted by Parliament.

THE Budget Session began as usual with the President’s Address to the Joint Session of Parliament on January 31. After this, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha met and made obituary references. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley laid the copy of the Economic Survey 2016-17 in both the Houses.The next day, after former Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP from Indian Union Muslim League E Ahamed, who collapsed during President Pranab Mukherjee's address and died in hospital, there was a long suspense over whether the government would adjourn the House or the Finance Minister would present the budget.

BOTH Houses of Parliament took up short-duration discussion on the situation arising out of price rise in the country in the last week of July. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said it is an extremely important issue that concerns the life and death of our people. Recently, the CPI(M) had organised a nationwide protest action, in which lakhs and lakhs of people participated. That generally shows the manner in which people are concerned about the relentless rise in the prices of all essential commodities.

IN the concluding week, Lok Sabha discussed about the situation arising out of drought and drinking water crisis in many states and the need to consider inter-linking of rivers and water resource management for sustainable solution to mitigate the crisis. Speaking on this, Md. Salim said farmers are worst affected by drought. They are not able to repay their debts due to crop failure and are driven to commit suicide. Drinking water crisis has also arisen due to the drought like situation in the country. We have not been able to increase the irrigated area during the last 20-25 years.