Parliament Diary

Question Hour functioned in full in Parliament today, except for a brief adjournment in between in both Houses. Questions related to high pendency of court cases and measures to address floods were raised. On a question regarding compensation for MSMEs involved in the production of single-use plastics, the Environment Minister assured the House that the government has various schemes to encourage MSMEs to switch to biodegradable alternatives.

Lok Sabha proceeded to hold its first full Zero Hour of the session. Members raised a variety of issues including the composition of the committee to make MSP transparent and effective, loss of jobs in startups and relisting of coffee cultivation work within the scope of MGNREGA in Andhra Pradesh.

The discussion on the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 was taken up in Rajya Sabha. The amendment to the 2005 Act follows from the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force to prohibit financing of activities related to biological, nuclear and chemical weapons. Members speaking on the Bill supported the amendment saying that this was necessary to strengthen the law.

In the second half, Members of the Opposition were not present in either House. Subsequently, the discussion on the WMD Bill was cut short to allow the Opposition to take part in the discussion on a later day. For the same reason, the discussion on the Indian-Antarctic Bill, 2022 in Lok Sabha, too, was deferred to another day.