Last year, he laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building and it is likely to be completed by next year…reports Asian Lite News.
Hours after returning from the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening inspected ongoing the construction work of a new Parliament house.
According to sources, he reached the construction site of the new parliament building around 8.45 p.m. and stayed there for around an hour.
This was his first visit to the construction site.
“Without any information and security details, Prime Minister Modi reached the construction site of the new Parliament building which is part of Central Vista project. He stayed there for around an hour and took stock of ongoing work. He took information of ongoing construction activities of the new Parliament building,” a source said.
The Prime Minister returned on Sunday afternoon from the US where he had held bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden, participated in the Quad summit, and also addressed the UNGA.
Last year, he laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building and it is likely to be completed by next year.
Earlier this month, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri had said next year, the Winter session of Parliament will be held at the new Parliament.
#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi visited the construction site of the new Parliament building in New Delhi last night. He spent almost an hour at the site and did a first-hand inspection of the construction status of the new Parliament building.
“The next Republic Day parade on January 26 will be held on the new Central Vista. Next year’s winter session of Parliament on the 75th year of Independence of the country will be held in the new Parliament,” he had said.
The Central Vista project also includes the construction of a common Secretariat for Central government offices, the Prime Minister’s office and residence, the Special Protection Group building and the Vice President’s Enclave.
The two sides also affirmed the importance of joint parliamentary cooperation to serve Arab and Islamic issues and rallying support for issues of top priorities at international parliamentary gatherings…reports Asian Lite News
Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of Federal National Council, FNC, welcomed today Muhammad Al-Halbousi, Speaker of Iraq’s House of Representatives, to discuss ways of bolstering of parliamentary friendship and cooperation between the two houses and coordinating stances and consultations towards regional and international issues of mutual interest.
UAE, Iraq discuss joint parliamentary cooperation
The two sides also affirmed the importance of joint parliamentary cooperation to serve Arab and Islamic issues and rallying support for issues of top priorities at international parliamentary gatherings. They also suggested the creation of a joint parliamentary friendship committee to realise the aspirations of the two countries in several areas, help exchange expertise and knowledge and best practices to serve parliamentary diplomacy and promote parliamentary legislative and supervisory frameworks.
In Europe, Sweden and Finland have 47% and 46% women in parliament, respectively. “Iceland is yet again leading the way on gender equality!” the UK ambassador to Iceland, Bryony Mathew, said on Twitter…reports Asian Lite News.
Iceland has voted more women than men into its parliament, a first in Europe, in a national election that saw the ruling left-right coalition strengthen its majority, final results showed on Sunday. Thirty-three women were voted into the 63-seat parliament in Saturday’s election, up from 24 in the last election. Iceland, a North Atlantic island of 371,000 people, was ranked the most gender-equal country in the world for the 12th year running in a World Economic Forum (WEF) report released in March.
“In a historical and international light, the most significant news is that women are now first time in majority in the Icelandic parliament, and a first in Europe. This is good news,” President Gudni Johannesson told broadcaster RUV.
Only three other countries – Rwanda, Cuba and Nicaragua – have more women than men in parliament, while Mexico and the United Arab Emirates have an exact 50/50 split, according to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
In Europe, Sweden and Finland have 47% and 46% women in parliament, respectively. “Iceland is yet again leading the way on gender equality!” the UK ambassador to Iceland, Bryony Mathew, said on Twitter. “Fantastic!” Opinion polls had forecast the governing coalition would fall short of a majority but a surge in support for the centre-right Progressive Party, which won five more seats than in 2017, pushed its total count to 37 seats, according to state broadcaster RUV.
The current government, which consists of Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir’s Left-Green Movement, the conservative Independence Party and the Progressive Party, said before the election that they would negotiate continued cooperation if they held their majority. President Johannesson said he would not hand a mandate to form a new government to any party, but would await coalition talks between the three parties.
The Independence Party again became the biggest in parliament with 16 seats, unchanged from the last election. Party leader and former Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson said he was optimistic that the three parties could form a coalition and he would not demand to lead a new government, RUV reported. The Left-Green Movement got eight seats, down from 11 in the 2017 election, although two parliamentarians left the party shortly after the last election.
European parliament hemicycle in Strasbourg, France (Wikipedia)
Taliban have taken power by force and the caretaker government they have appointed is neither inclusive, legitimate nor accountable to the Afghan people, said the release…reports Asian Lite News.
The European Parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution on the situation in Afghanistan and blamed Pakistan for assisting the Taliban in fighting the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) in the Panjshir Valley led by Ahmad Massoud.
“The Taliban are facing the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) in the Panjshir Valley led by Ahmad Massoud and Pakistan is assisting the Taliban in fighting the NRF by supplying its special forces and providing air support. Taliban fighters have been provided with safe havens in Pakistan for many years,” said a European Parliament release.
Taliban have proclaimed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and have already started to impose numerous repressive measures reversing the achievements of the Afghan people of the past 20 years that were supported and facilitated by the EU and the international community. Afghan women and girls, and ethnic, religious and other vulnerable groups will suffer the most from the already ongoing suppression of their basic rights, added the release.
Taliban have taken power by force and the caretaker government they have appointed is neither inclusive, legitimate nor accountable to the Afghan people, said the release.
Taliban had announced the caretaker government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, naming Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as interim prime minister and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the group, as his deputy with no women in its cabinet.
European Parliament said Taliban’s caretaker government includes persons responsible for acts of terrorism, including former detainees, individuals under UN sanctions and a person on an FBI most wanted list.
Many members of the Taliban’s caretaker government are holders of passports issued by Pakistan, added the release.
“Taliban’s caretaker government was formed without keeping the Taliban’s promises of an inclusive government, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been dismantled. The Taliban do not envisage continuous participation of women in leadership roles in Afghanistan, and are persecuting women leaders, officials and activists, and are using lethal force to disperse women’s rights protests. There is a well-founded fear that the Law on Elimination of Violence Against Women, which imposes criminal penalties for child and forced marriages, domestic violence and numerous other abuses against women will be repealed,” it said.
Moreover, the Taliban’s caretaker government has issued a countrywide ban on protests and has started a crackdown on the free media, including the detention of and assaults on journalists and imposing new restrictions on media work.
The Taliban use propaganda to spread hatred towards the West and the EU and putting the EU’s own security at risk said the release. (ANI)
The vote win provides some respite for Johnson after his government came in for heavy criticism over its handling of Afghanistan, reports Asian Lite News
Lawmakers backed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to raise taxes in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, clearing the way to direct more funds into the country’s creaking health and social care system.
Johnson had angered some members of his governing party by breaking election promises not to increase taxes, and only set out the full plan on Tuesday. Despite the backlash his party, with a working majority of 83, won the vote 319 to 248.
Under the proposal, the rate of National Insurance payroll taxes paid by both workers and employers will rise by 1.25 percentage points, with the same increase also applied to the tax on shareholder dividends.
It is expected to raise 12 billion pounds ($17 billion) a year.
The extra funds will go into Britain’s social care system, where costs are projected to double as the population ages over the next two decades.
They will also be used to tackle waiting lists within the state-run National Health Service after it directed its resources onto COVID-19 during the pandemic, leaving millions of people waiting months for treatment.
Politicians have tried for years to find a way to pay for social care, though successive Conservative and Labour prime ministers have ducked the issue because they feared it would anger voters and their parties.
For Johnson, tackling the problem offers a possible way to broaden his domestic legacy, although critics have said his plan does not go far enough. They say it will also unfairly increase the tax burden on working-age British people.
The vote win does, however, provide some respite for Johnson after his government came in for heavy criticism over its handling of Afghanistan. Five Conservative lawmakers voted against the plan while others abstained.
Earlier, Johnson had said that his plan – which includes capping care costs in England at £86,000 – was broad-based and progressive according to the economic think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
“The plan deals – after decades – with catastrophic costs faced by millions of people, the risks that they face, the threat they could face the loss of their homes, their possessions, their ability to pass on anything to their children,” he said.
He added it was the first time the state had stepped in to deal with the threat of such costs and meant insurance companies would now be able to help protect people against the costs of care.
The key proposals of the new plan are:
People will no longer pay more than £86,000 in care costs – not including food and accommodation – over their lifetime, from October 2023
Once people have reached this cap, ongoing costs for personal care will be paid for by local authorities
Those with between £20,000 and £100,000 in assets will get means-tested help towards costs from their local council
Those with less than £20,000 will not have to pay towards care costs from their assets at all, but might have to contribute from their income
The tax will be raised through a 1.25 percentage point rise in National Insurance – which working people and their employers pay to ensure benefits like the state pension – from next April
This will cost £255 a year for someone earning £30,000, and £505 a year for someone on £50,000, the government says.
The military and the authorities have been seizing food stocks and confiscating warehouses with paddy and sugar…reports Asian Lite News
The Sri Lanka Parliament on Monday passed the ‘state of emergency’ with claims to seize hidden food stocks amid soaring prices of food and essential items.
The ruling Gotabaya Rajapaksa government passed the state of emergency with majority votes, with the opposition parties complaining that the law is a danger to democracy, rights and freedom of expression as the same law could be used to suppress dissent voices against the government.
Rajapaksa had on August 30 gazetted state of emergency as a means to maintain food supplies and essential services during the Covid-19 pandemic. The regulations had to be passed by the Parliament within 14 days.
The President also appointed a senior military official in a new post titled Commissioner General of Essential Services to control the distribution of essential consumer goods, including paddy, rice and sugar.
Amid the price hike, traders were hoarding essential goods like sugar and rice. The price control imposed by the government also led to a shortage of food items like milk powder.
The military and the authorities have been seizing food stocks and confiscating warehouses with paddy and sugar.
However, the opposition alleged that the state of emergency has been imposed not only to control essential food prices, but also to silence the dissent against the government.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmaker M A. Sumanthiran said there is no guarantee that the law will not interfere with the freedom of expression.
He argued that the existing laws are sufficient to control the prices of food and their supplies. The law will not confine only to the essential services but it would threaten the human rights as well, Sumanthiran argued.
Sri Lanka maintained state of emergency during the 30-year long war against Tamil rebels and during the two youth uprisings in 1972 and 1987/88.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also held an emergency COBRA meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Downing Street has said…reports Asian Lite News.
The UK Parliament will be recalled on Wednesday from their summer recess to debate the British government’s response to the crisis in Afghanistan as Taliban has captured Kabul and entered the Presidential Palace, the House of Commons confirmed.
MPs will return to Westminster for a session from 9.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. over the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan amid the withdrawal of US, British and NATO troops, reports Xinhua news agency.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also held an emergency COBRA meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Downing Street has said.
COBRA is shorthand for the Civil Contingencies Committee that is convened to handle matters of national emergency or major disruption.
After the meeting, Johnson told reporters that the US decision to pull out of Afghanistan has “accelerated things”, and added “no one wants Afghanistan to become a breeding ground for terror”.
The UK has deployed 600 troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate British nationals and local interpreters.
British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace on August 13 had said the US decision to pull its troops out of Afghanistan was a “mistake”, which has handed the Taliban “momentum” in the country.
“Of course I am worried, it is why I said I felt this was not the right time or decision to make because, of course, Al Qaeda will probably come back, certainly would like that type of breeding ground,” he told Sky News.
After days of capturing provincial capital cities, the Taliban started entering Kabul from all sides on Sunday morning.
Though the Taliban had earlier said that there is no plan to enter the Afghan capital militarily, the security vacuum in Kabul made them direct their fighters to enter and occupy the empty police outposts and police districts.
As Afghan President Ashraf Ghani along with his close aides and the first lady left Kabul for Tajikistan, the Taliban also managed to enter the Presidential Palace or Arg.
Justice Ramana was speaking at the 75th Independence Day celebrations conducted by the Supreme Court Bar Association at the top court…reports Asian Lite News.
Chief Justice N.V. Ramana pointed at the sharp difference in the quality of the debate which took place in the various Houses (Parliament or other state Assemblies) post-Independence and contemporary debates, which result in legislation having gaps, ambiguity in making laws, and absence of clarity in the laws.
He added lack of wise and constructive debates in the Houses burdens the courts with a lot of litigation and it is also difficult to fathom the intent behind the law.
Justice Ramana was speaking at the 75th Independence Day celebrations conducted by the Supreme Court Bar Association at the top court.
Citing the nature of contemporary Parliament debates, the Chief Justice said: “Now, it is a sorry state of affairs. We see the legislations. Lots of gaps; lots of ambiguity in making laws. There is no clarity in laws. We do not know what is the intent of the legislature, what purpose laws are made, which is creating a lot of litigation, inconvenience and loss to the government as well as inconvenience to the public.”
He added that this is what happens when intellectuals and professionals like lawyers are not in the Houses; and lawyers should actively participate in public life.
Parliament saw several adjournments in the recently concluded Monsoon session, with the Opposition cornering the government over the Pegasus spyware issue, farm laws and fuel hike.
The Chief Justice emphasized that “if you see debates, which used to take place in Houses post-Independence, were very, very wise and constructive and they used to debate any legislation, they were making.”
Citing a debate in connection with the Industrial Disputes Act, he said, “I have seen debates taking place and a CPI-M leader used to discuss elaborately — what are the consequences of making these amendments in the Act and how will it affect the working class? Same way different laws used to be discussed and deliberated. So, the burden on the courts while interpreting or implementing is less. So, we had a clear picture, what they thought; what they wanted to tell us; why they are making such a legislation,” he added.
The Chief Justice said the Independence struggle was mostly led by lawyers — Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, etc. — who not only sacrificed their profession, but also their properties, family and everything; and got Independence for the country.
“If you take into consideration the first members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state Assemblies. They were filled with lawyers. Unfortunately, over a period of time you know what is happening in the Houses, that is legislations, Parliament, Rajya Sabha, or any other Houses,” he added.
The Bill intends to include non-NBFC players that can engage in factoring business….reports Asian Lite News
The Parliament on Thursday passed the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, following its passage in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier this week.
In industry parlance, ‘Factoring’ is defined as a financial transaction in which a business sells its accounts receivable to a third party for debt financing. This legislation will make it easier for small businesses to monetise their receivables.
The Bill intends to include non-NBFC players that can engage in factoring business.
The amended legislation will allow ‘factors’ (such as NBFCs) to acquire the receivables of a company at a discount and realise them from entities that owe the money. This will help the company monetise its receivables quickly and tackle cash-flow problems.
The new legislation has also lifted the eligibility requirement for entities to become factors. This is expected to allow a lot of opportunities to the non-bank lenders.
The current Bill is based on the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Finance.
On Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the government has accepted all the recommendations made by the committee.
The Bill, once converted in to a law, is expected to increase the supply of funds available to small businesses such as MSMEs.
With the government set to introduce 17 new Bills, the Opposition plans to seek tough question about inflation, fuel price hike, Covid mismanagement, and the border issue with China, reports Asian Lite News
The stage is set for a stormy Monsoon session of the Parliament which will commence from tomorrow (July 19) and last till August 13.
The session comes amid Covid-19 pandemic affecting Parliament sessions since March 2020, forcing early closure of last year’s budget and monsoon sessions and this year’s budget session. The 2020 winter session was skipped altogether due to the public health crisis. The high rate of vaccination among the lawmakers and Parliament staff improves chances of a longer Parliament session and higher productivity. More than 40 bills and five ordinances are pending before Parliament.
Power-packed schedule
The government is set to introduce 17 new Bills in the session, which includes changes in the Insolvency and BankÂruptcy Code (IBC) — replacing the Ordinance enabling prepackaged resolution schemes for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and allowing corporate debtors to propose a resolution plan for the stressed company.
Besides, the Centre will also introduce the Deposit Insurance Bill, increase insurance cover to Rs 5 lakh.
However, the much-awaited cryptocurrency Bill has been delayed and is not listed in the Lok Sabha Bulletin of the session.
The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021 (Crypto Bill), was earlier listed for the Budget Session but couldn’t be tabled as the session was truncated because of the second wave of Covid-19. HowÂever, sources said the government is yet to finalise the contours of the Bill and is still evaluating the framework.
Of the 17 new bills lined up for the session are amendments in Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, the Electricity Act and the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, apart from others.
The new bills that the Centre listed for introduction, consideration and passing are The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021; The Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Amendment Bill, 2021; The Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2021; The Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021; The Cantonment Bill, 2021; The Indian Antarctica Bill, 2021; The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021; The Indian Institute of Forest Management Bill, 2021; The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021; The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment)Bill, 2021; The Indian Marine Fisheries Bill, 2021; The Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Amendment) Bill, 2021; The Inland Vessels Bill, 2021; The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021; and The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021.
Opposition draws the sword
Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has reconstituted the party’s parliament groups for both houses for effective functioning of the party. Putting all speculation to rest, Sonia Gandhi has let Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stay as leader of the party in the Lok Sabha.
The Congress has decided to raise issues of inflation, fuel price hike, Covid mismanagement, and the border issue with China in the upcoming Monsoon session.
The party strategy group for Parliament, chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi, met on Wednesday evening and the party is of the view that it should raise the Rafale issue after the recent development in France, where a probe in alleged kickbacks has been initiated.
Coordination with other opposition parties has been entrusted to Rajya Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge as the party wants joint opposition strategy in the house to corner the government.
Congress leader P. Chidambaram, addressing the media had said on Tuesday: “Congress party will raise the issue of high inflation in the forthcoming session of Parliament and demand a full discussion on the subject as well as substantial relief for the people of India.”
Pawar politics
Ahead of monsoon session, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and talked for about 50 minutes, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sharad Pawar met PM Narendra Modi,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.
The meeting took pace amid reports over fissures in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government in Maharashtra. On July 13, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had said that he has always been against the Congress and the NCP politically.
The Congress party and Sharad Pawar’s NCP are part of the MVA and allies of Thackeray’s Shiv Sena.
Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar
“Politically, I have been against Congress and the NCP, but this does not mean that I will call their good work in the government wrong. Neither I nor Balasaheb Thackeray thought this,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
Further, it has been observed that Sena has been seen warming up to the BJP – its former alliance partner. Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the BJP and Sena are “not enemies”, the two parties only have a difference of opinions.
