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Review of proceedings in Lok Sabha
Making a statement in the Lok Sabha on the inadvertent release of a missile during an inspection on March 9, 2022, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today asserted that India’s missile system is very reliable and the safety procedures are of the highest order and described the recent accidental missile release as “regrettable”. He said, a review of standard operations and maintenance was being conducted and any shortcomings if found, will be immediately rectified.
Singh said the government has taken serious note of the incident, and a formal high-level inquiry has been ordered which will determine the exact cause of the incident. He said, during routine maintenance and inspection, a missile was accidentally released at around 7 pm.
It was later learnt that the missile had landed inside the territory of Pakistan. While this incident is regretted, we are relieved that nobody was hurt due to the accident,” the minister said.
The Minister also said Indian armed forces are well-trained and disciplined and are well experienced in handling such systems. He said, he would also like to state that a review of the Standard Operating Procedures for operations, maintenance and inspections is being conducted in the wake of the incident. We attach the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified, he said.
The Defence Minister assured Parliament that India’s missile system is very reliable and safe. He said, safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order and are reviewed from time to time. Our Armed Forces are well-trained and disciplined and are well experienced in handling such systems,” he added.
Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, the Director-General of the Inter-Service Public Relations of Pakistan, had claimed last Thursday that an unarmed projectile launched from India entered the Pakistani airspace travelling 124 km and fell near Mian Channu in Khanewal district.
Pakistan had summoned the Charge d’Affaires at the Indian embassy in Islamabad and conveyed its strong protest over the unprovoked violation of its airspace by what it described as a supersonic projectile. Noting that the missile that landed in Pakistan was fired accidentally due to a technical malfunction, the defence ministry last Friday had also ordered a Court of Enquiry into the incident.
External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar made a statement in the House on the situation in the war-torn Ukraine. He said, 22,500 Indian Students have returned safely from Ukraine. He said that Indian students were positively discouraged by universities in Ukraine from leaving. He said, despite efforts, a large majority of students wished to continue staying in Ukraine. He said, the Indian embassy in Ukraine had started a registration drive for Indian nationals in January and as a result 22,500 Indian nationals registered with the Indian embassy. The minister said that 4,000 students left Ukraine through direct and indirect flights.
Jaishankar said that India also rescued 147 foreign nationals of 18 countries including Nepal and Bangladesh from Ukraine. The minister said that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has major economic implications and the same can be seen in the rising prices of energy and commodities.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of Congress demanded a court-monitored CBI probe into the killing of party councillor Tapan Kandu and the mysterious death of student activist Anis Khan in West Bengal. Raising the issues during Zero Hour, Chowdhury alleged the ruling Trinamool Congress was involved in the murder of Kandu in collusion with a section of the police. About the death of 18-year old Khan last month, Chowdhury, who is also the state Congress chief, claimed that elections can no longer be held independently in the state amid the prevailing lawlessness.
T R Baalu of DMK said, more than seven bills have been passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and sent to the Governor for his assent but those were still awaiting his nod.
Dean Kuriakose of Congress sought the External Affairs minister’s intervention in the case of a 33-year-old woman, Nimisha Priya, jailed in Yemen for the alleged killing of a Yemeni national.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said he has accepted the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister-designate and Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann with effect from March 14.
Mann, who was AAP’s chief ministerial candidate for the Punjab assembly polls, won elections from Dhuri assembly segment in the state.
Opposition members accused the government of indulging in jugglery of railway finances and sought to know whether it intends to privatise the Indian Railways after Air India.
Initiating the debate on Demand for Grants 2022-23 for Railway, K Suresh of Congress accused the government of running the railways in an inefficient manner and said it is indulging in jugglery in the allocation of funds. He alleged that the intention of this government is privatising the Indian Railways also. He said, Air India is already sold. Now the next step of this government is Indian Railways.
Expressing concern over huge vacancies in the railways, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi of DMK said, the South Indians don’t get jobs and it seems that there is an effort to keep them away. She demanded that the government clarify as to how 100 per cent electrification can be achieved by the next year if it is 73 per cent at present.
Satabdi Roy of TMC stressed the need to bring down platform ticket price from 50 rupees to reasonable levels. The price was raised in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and since the situation has improved the ministry should look at it, Roy said. She also sought to know the stand of the government on privatisation and what impact it will have on the common man.
Gajanan Kirtikar of Shiv Sena raised the issue of rehabilitation by the railways caused due to expansion of tracks. The ministry should also focus on commercial usage of additional land that the Railway has, he said.
Shyam Singh Yadav of BSP alleged that the railways is no longer a common man’s transport with increasing prices and privatisation.
Sunil Kumar Pintu of JDU said that the Patna Rajdhani Express should ply from the New Delhi Railway station’s platform number 16 like in the pre-Covid days to facilitate easy station exit of passengers from Bihar who carry foodgrains and fresh vegetables when they come from home.
Nushrat Jahan of TMC, Arun Saw of BJP and Rahul Ramesh Shewale of Shiv Sena among others also participated in the debate.
Review of proceedings in Rajya Sabha
The Minister for Development of North Eastern Region, G Kishan Reddy said, the government is working towards making North East India’s new engine of growth and there has been remarkable development of the region under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Replying to the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Reddy said the Centre has worked on holistic development of the region since 2014 by focusing on bringing peace, improving infrastructure and connectivity through enhanced budgetary support. He also said, in the last eight years of the Modi government there has been remarkable development in the NE. The region has been accorded top priority for development under the prime minister’s agenda of transforming India, he said.
Before 2014, there were different challenges to development of the North East where the government has been working towards bringing about inclusive growth, development and creation of new opportunities.
Arguing that peace and stability were prerequisites for development, he said, a sea change is visible in the region where large-scale infrastructure development has taken place. He claimed that under the Modi government a new era of peace and prosperity has begun in the North East. He added that the youth there aspire for growth and development and the Centre will do everything to fulfil their desires.
The Minister also highlighted the decline in insurgency related incidents besides a decrease in the number of security forces and civilians killed. The number of surrendered extremists has increased to 2,696 in 2020 from 291 in 2014, while the quantity of arms surrendered has also gone up in the last eight years, the minister said.
Noting that connectivity is a big challenge to the development of the region, he said the government has been focusing on improving rail, road, air, waterway, telecom and internet connectivity with all the eight states. He said, India cannot develop unless the North East is developed, he said, adding that our aim and our commitment is for the development of the region.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also made a similar statement in the upper house on the accidental missile that was fired towards Pakistan.
External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar also made a similar statement on evcuation of Indian students from Ukraine in the Rajya Sabha.
Members also participated in the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the evening.
Earlier during Zero Hour, BJP member Sushil Kumar Modi said banking fraud cases of more than 13,000 crore rupees in Mumbai are pending investigation for want of consent by Maharashtra government for probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. He said more than 100 cases of bank frauds running in over Rs 50,000 crore could not be investigated because of lack of consent for probe by different state governments.
In his Zero Hour mention, G V L Narasimha Rao of BJP made a demand for celeberating the 550th birth anniversary of Emperor Shri Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar Empire. He requested the Central Government to celebrate his 550th birth anniversary by organising a series of special events.
Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD said, the ‘beedi’ industry in India is unorganised, unregulated, unchecked and it poses a significant health risk to the workers employed in the beedi rolling process. The Ministry of Labour and Employment must conduct a study to understand the reasons for the low penetration of the support given to women beedi workers and reorient their policy approach accordingly, Jha said.
MDMK member Vaiko asked the government to find solution to frequent attacks by Sri Lankan navy on Tamil Nadu fisherman. He said, for the past 38 years, fishermen from Tamil Nadu are attacked repeatedly by the Sri Lankan Navy. Their boats are destroyed and they are killed in the sea itself.
Venkataramana Rao Mopidevi of YSRCP urged the central government to compensate the fishermen for the losses incurred due to the imposition of restrictions by the Government on fishing and fish trading activities during naval events and naval exercises at Visakhapatnam.
Elamaram Kareem of CPIM raised an issue related to ICDS, NHM and Mid Day Meal, which is now known as PM Poshan Scheme. He said, around 60 lakh women, 26 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers, 27 lakh Mid Day Meal workers and 10 lakh ASHA workers deliver the services to each household of the country, but are not recognised as workers.
BJP member Ajay Pratap Singh demanded prohibition and regulation of use of corex and iodex. He said these two are being used as intoxicants.
