LS deadlock likely to end, Motion of Thanks to resume

By Rajnish Singh

New Delhi, Feb 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ending the deadlock on three contentious farm laws that hit the functioning of the Lok Sabha last week with opposition's protest, the House is expected to return back to its normal functioning on Monday and resume motion of thanks to the President's address as well as take other Business.

With indications of several parliamentarians -- both from the opposition and treasury benches -- it is learnt that there has been some sort of compromise among them on the issue and they are now ready to support the proceedings of the Lower House when it will assemble for the day at 4 p.m.

Over 10 key opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, RSP, YSRCP, have been protesting against the government seeking discussion on the three farm laws to repeal them. Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) former allies Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiv Sena have been also staging protests against the government since the beginning of the Budget Session.

While talking to IANS, several MPs, including Congress's senior leader Shashi Tharoor and Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said the opposition is expected to participate in the proceedings as per normal course.

Question Hour, Zero Hour as well as other Businesses of the House are to take place with proper coordination and support of all members.

Written answers related to the separate questions sought by MPs from nine ministries will be tabled by the concerned Ministers.

Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar will lay answers on the table from Ministry of Panchayati Raj; Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' for the Ministry of Education; Arjun Munda for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs; Dharmendra Pradhan for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Santosh Gangwar for the Ministry of Labour and Employment; Prahlad Singh Patel for the Ministry of Culture; Raj Kumar Singh for the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Sanjay Samrao Dhotre for the Ministry of Education, and Anurag Thakur for the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs.

Besides, reports of the Standing Committee on Information and Technology will be presented by Congress MP Shahsi Tharoor and BJP MP Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma.

BJP MP Locket Chatterjee is to resume her speech on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address -- a tradition in which all the members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha participate after the beginning of the session. The Rajya Sabha concluded its discussion on the motion of thanks on Friday but it got stalled in the Lok Sabha due to protest by the opposition on three contentious farm laws, leading to adjournment of the House's each sittings last week with completion of very little Business.

The Lok Sabha list of Business also mentions general discussion on Budget 2021-2022.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is to move the The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 for the consideration and passage to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The Bill was introduced in the House on February 4.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)

Source: IANS