A day after the Rajya Sabha kicked off spirited discussions on India’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, two or more ministers are expected to respond to queries and clarifications posed by the Opposition.
In the second half of the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to address the Lok Sabha on the India-China border row, primarily in Ladakh.
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Here are the live updates:
11.25 am | Rajya Sabha
Economic contraction minimised due to govt’s measures, says Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The lockdown was unambiguously necessary, he says BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, adding that lockdowns are a necessary tools for government and will be there intermittently till a vaccine is available.
“The impact was expected when 60% of the economy was shut down for 8 weeks. It could have led go contraction of 40%, but did only 23% because of steps taken by the government. That’s good news,” says Mr. Chandrasekhar.
“When there is an economic loss in States due to floods etc, the Centre steps in. But this is a loss for the whole country and there is no else to pass on the losses to, unless China accepts it’s responsibility and there is a case for reparations,” he says.
He winds up his speech by thanking those fighting against the “China virus”, and says that India step up to fill the void created by the world’s distrust of China in the current context.
11.15 am | Rajya Sabha
Opposition has become COVID expert in hindsight: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar says the world hasn’t experienced anything like this since the 1918 Spanish flu. “While there are many senior members in this House, I suspect none of us have experienced that,” he says.
He questions the behaviour of the Chinese government and the origin of the virus, citing a recent report of a Chinese doctor claiming that the virus was made in a lab.
He says the Opposition and the government should work together to solve this, instead of making petty allegations, and says that the Opposition seems to have become COVID experts in hindsight.
11.10 am | Rajya Sabha
Waiting for the vaccine eagerly: TRS MP
“Earlier the county would eagerly wait for Jaya Bachchan’s movie release. Now the country is waiting for vaccine release,” begins TRS MP K.R. Suresh Reddy.
He asks the government what it has done to speed up the vaccine process, and for clearing bottlenecks.
11.05 am | Rajya Sabha
Allot ₹9,000 crore to Tamil Nadu for tackling COVID: Thambidurai
AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai says meeting the challenges of the pandemic requires coordination between Centre and States.
He requests the Centre to allocate ₹9,000 crore to Tamil Nadu for tackling COVID. He goes on to cite specific areas for which funds are required, including for farmers affecting problems.
On a lighter note, when Mr. Thambidurai was asked to conclude his speech as his allotted time is up, he responds that COVID hasn’t concluded yet.
11.00 am | Rajya Sabha
Be ready for last-mile delivery of vaccine: Gulam Nabi Azad
He cites his experience as the Health Minister in 2009-14 Cabinet, and says that he had taken the first shot of the H1N1 vaccine that was delveloped by India in 2010.
We must encourage domestic manufacturers of vaccines, he says. “And we must be ready for the last-mile delivery of the vaccine; it should not be like the lockdown. We can’t waste time to formulate vaccination strategy later,” he says.
Government should be over-cautious about the efficiency of the vaccine as we have a large and young population, Mr. Azad.
He winds up by saying that since hand-washing has multipled according to WHO’s best practise guideline, the price of soaps (particularly Lifebuoy as it is accessible to the poor) and sanitizers should be halved.
10.50 am | Rajya Sabha
Replace the term social distancing with physical distancing: Gulam Nabi Azad
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad says he has 8 to 10 minutes, of which he will give suggestions for nine minutes as many suggestions have come up in the discussion.
He says: “The government lost the golden months in addressing this pandemic. We should have been alert as it was in our neighborhood (China) that a mysterious pneumonia was being seen in December 2019.”
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had warned of a tsunami that was about to hit the country, he says.
These are my suggestions, says Mr. Azad.
He says: “There should be dedicated infectious disease hospitals and fever clinics, instead of COVID-19 hospitals to reduce stigma. The term social distancing should be replaced with physical distancing.”
10.35 am | Rajya Sabha
UP has a population comparable to Brazil, but has done a better job of managing COVID: Trivedi
BJP MP Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi continues speaking on the Statement made by the Minister regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the steps taken by the Government of India.
In response to the Opposition questioning the lockdown announced with four hours notice, Dr. Trivedi says one can imagine the crowds at railway stations and bus stops had there been a two-day notice by seeing what happened in Anand Vihar terminal in Delhi and Tilak terminus in Mumbai.
He speaks about procuring the COVID-19 vaccine from Russia, and on indigenous vaccine production. He adds that Uttar Pradesh has a population comparable to Brazil and has done better job of controlling virus spread, managing cases and deaths.
He claims that the Opposition, which is in power in Punjab (the richest State), West Bengal and Kerala could have done a better job handling the pandemic before questioning the Centre, as health is a State subject. (Isolated shouts as members try to respond to this)
The BJP MP continues: “When Rahul Gandhi was speaking to eminent people on Twitter, Nobel prize winner Abhijit Banerjee said the States should address issues of migrant workers and Centre should support the State.”
He winds up by reciting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as it is his birthday today.
10.25 am | Rajya Sabha
‘Was spinning a charkha going to lead to the British leaving?’
BJP MP Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi says this pandemic is the biggest challenge in documented history.
He hits back at diya-lighting/clapping criticism, and says: Many of our friends have a problem with lighting of diyas and banging thaalis. They don’t know history. Was spinning a charkha going to lead to thr British leaving? It was a symbol chosen by Gandhiji.
Without naming the “young, unmarried leader” (making abundantly clear that he is referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi), Dr. Trivedi says that the leader claimed that he had tweeted about the intensity of coronavirus early in February. “The Centre was criticised for the Namaste Trump event and for not shutting down the airports earlier, but the young leader was tweeting this from a foreign location,” says Dr. Trivedi.
As he goes on making political points, MPs protest that the BJP leader is straying from the topic. Deputy Chairman agrees, and says this is applicable to all members of the House.
10.20 am | Rajya Sabha
PM has brought the country together emotionally: Vijaisai Reddy
YSRCP MP V. Vijaisai Reddy says the Centre’s approach of balancing life and livelihood post ‘Unlock’ stage has been appreciated. “The Prime Minister has brought the nation together emotionally,” he says.
Mr. Reddy says he suffered from COVID-19, but was able to recover as it was detected early one. He says that the early detection of the virus is key for surviving it. He adds that Andhra Pradesh has highest testing numbers out of States with population of over 3 crore.
10.15 am | Rajya Sabha
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh says the ruling party has been saying the Opposition did not support the PM Modi’s “taali, thaali” initiative. “You bring such a foolish idea, and expect the country to be fooled? he asks, as ruling party MPs protest.
If one COVID-19 patient can be cured of it, we will all sit here and clap and light diyas, he says.
Minor disruption ensues after Mr. Singh strongly rejects allegations of Delhi government mismanaging the pandemic response.
10.05 am | Rajya Sabha
TN has done ‘maximum’ COVID deaths, says <P
Tamil Maanila Congress MP G.K. Vasan speaks about Tamil Nadu’s coronavirus response.
He claims that the State is “effectively managing” the pandemic response by taking “all proactive steps”. He says that State has done maximum COVID-19 tests in the country, and that the death rate in the State is one of the least.
BSP MP Veer Singh says unemployment has increased due to COVID-19 and the Centre’s lockdown without any preparations affected the poor the most.
10 am | Rajya Sabha
Distribute masks to poor for free: Binoy Viswam
CPI MP Binoy Viswam says it is unfortunate that the Health Minister did not mention Kerala in his statement. Kerala played an exemplary role in fighting COVID-19 right from the word go, he says.
He also commends all frontline workers, specifically mentioning the safai karamcharis, for their service in this regard, and says that the government should distribute free masks to all the poor in the country.
9.55 am | Rajya Sabha
Children are missing crucial immunisations, says Priyanka Chaturvedi
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi says it was disappointing to see an MP politicise the pandemic issue despite saying it shouldn’t be politicised.
She points out that the States are being treated unfairly as it is being deprived of funds. She also says that more than 1 million children have missed crucial immunisation.
TDP MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar says Andhra Pradesh government is under-reporting virus cases and that the Chief Minister is making unscientific claims like saying that paracetamol is the only medicine for COVID-19.
9.50 am | Rajya Sabha
Facing shortage of oxygen cylinders, remdesivir: NCP MP
NCP MP Praful Patel begins by thanking the frontline workers for their service during the pandemic.
He says there is no fixed direction of the pandemic — it started with the cities, and now it has spread across the country. “We have 1 lakh cases a day now and it is set to reach 2 lakh a day,” he says.
He says that he read in newspapers that officials are saying that there is not shortage of oxygen cylinders and remdesivir drug, however the ground reality is different.
9.40 am | Rajya Sabha
What is the PM CARES fund for if not for States, asks Sanjay Raut
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut says he has personal experience with the danger of coronavirus as his elderly mother and younger brother are in the ICU, ailing from COVID-19.
He hits back at BJP MP Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe for his speech in the House on September 16, where Dr. Sahasrabuddhe criticised the Maharashtra govermnment’s COVID response. Mr. Raut cites the example of the States successful arrest of spread of the virus in the heavily-populated Dharavi to refute Dr. Sahasrabuddhe’s claims.
Maharashtra government has followed the protocol of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says Mr. Raut.
He says that the Centre has stopped funds for PPE kits, masks and other materials from September 1. “It will cost Maharashtra government ₹50 crore a day. What is the PM CARES fund for if not for States?,” he asks.
9.35 am | Rajya Sabha
Discussion on COVID-19 resumes.
Swapan Dasgupta, nominated member, resumes his speech from the previous session.
He asks the government what the scientific basis for a lockdown is and if a uniform guideline can be issued for lockdowns as States have imposed different versions which often are contradictory and causes confusion among the people.
9.25 am | Rajya Sabha
Special mentions begin.
Congress MP K.C. Venugopal asks for a probe into Facebook’s interference into India’s electoral democracy.
Congress MP Ripun Bora says NEET and JEE exams should be held again as many students could not attend due to COVID-19 pandemic.
BJP MP Satish Chand Dubey raises issue of floods in Bihar every year.
YSRCP MP V. Vijaisai Reddy asks for special trains in Andhra Pradesh, says not a single train running from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam.
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu reminds the members of special protocols in place wrt the COVID-19 pandemic, including compulsory face masks and seated debates.
9.20 am | Rajya Sabha
Release jailed J&K leaders, says MP
BJP MP Nabam Rebia says Arunachal Pradesh got statehood in 1987, but has not been given Constitutional protection yet. He asks the government to consider the Arunachal Pradesh government’s demand of including the State in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
BJP MP Vivek Thakur begins by saying that during the COVID-19 discussion in the Upper House on the previous day, it was made out as though the government has not done anything good during the COVID-19 pandemic. Updating the House on the vaccine status, he says there are three companies working on COVID-19 vaccines that come from the country of origin of virus. Should we entertain them, he asks.
PDP MP Mir Mohammad Fayaz raises the matter of political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir being under arrest for over a year after Article 370 was abrogated. He asks the government to release those who are still under arrest.
BJP MP Surendra Singh Nagar points out that the J&K administration has not included the third most spoken language, Gurjari, in its list of official languages. He asks the Centre to include Gurjari and Pahadi in the list.
9.10 am | Rajya Sabha
Radio collars on Asiatic lions increasing their death rate?
Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil says radio collars put on Asiatic lions in Gir forest have led to increasing death rate. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu asks that this issue be noted and looked into.
MP Sanjay Raut asks permission to address the House standing up, which Chairman Venkaiah Naidu declines citing COVID-19 protocol.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut says government is planning to privatise Jawaharlal Nehru Port and it will be a loss to the country’s exchequer as land and property worth crores will pass on to private hands. He asks that the project be reconsidered.
Congress MP Dr. Amee Yagnik raises issue of patients who suffered from non-communicable diseases being unable to get treatment for non-COVID diseases as the focus is on COVID-19. She cites stalling procedures like chemotherapy, dialysis as an example. She asks the government for separate investment for diseases like cancer, diabetes, hypertension etc.
Samajwadi Party MP Ravi Prakash Verma raises the matter of floods along the Indo-Nepal border, and says the government should take up the matter considering the adverse impact it has on Indian villages.
9 am | Rajya Sabha
Award frontline workers: request raised during Zero Hour
Papers laid on table, including Report of the Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Zero Hour begins. Samajwadi Party MP Vishwambhar Prasad Nishad raises matter of vacancies in reserved government jobs.
AIADMK MP from Puducherry N. Gokulakrishnan says that Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribe citizens of the country are feeling apprehensive about their future as the reccomendations made in Mandal Commission report is implemented only on paper. He asks for moratorium on creamy layer principle till 27% reservation is filled.
BJP MP Lt. Gen (retd.) Dr. DP Vats says frontline corona warriors should be awarded service or peace-time gallantry awards similar to the ones granted to the military. He cites the example of air hostess Neerja Bhanot as a precedent.
Bill for Introduction
- Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020
Bills for consideration and passing
- Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020
- Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020
Rajya Sabha
Bills for Consideration and Passing
- Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020