Obituary
References were made in the House during the Session as detailed below: —
|
Sl.No |
Date |
Person in respect of whom reference was
made |
Time taken Hrs. Mts. |
Remarks |
|
1. |
24-07-2006 |
Shri K.
Gopalan (ex-Member) |
0-04 |
The Chairman made references and the
House observed silence, all Members standing as a mark of respect to the
memory of the departed. As a mark of respect to the memory of Shri
Vasant Chavan, a sitting
Member, the House adjourned
for the day. |
|
2. |
-do- |
Shri Vasant
Chavan (sitting Member) |
|
|
|
3. |
03-08-2006 |
Dr. (Shrimati) Phulrenu Guha (ex-member) |
0-03 |
The Chairman made reference and the House
observed silence, all Members standing as a mark of respect to the memory of
the departed. |
|
4. |
07-08-2006 |
Shrimati Nandini Satpathy (ex-member) |
0-03 |
-do- |
|
5. |
17-08-2006 |
Prof. M.M. Agarwal (ex-member) |
0-03 |
-do- |
|
6. |
21-08-2006 |
Shehnai Maestro Ustad
Bismillah Khan |
0-04 |
The Chairman made reference and the House
observed silence, all Members standing as a mark of respect to the memory of
the departed. |
|
7. |
23-08-2006 |
Shri Shamim Hashmi (ex-Member) |
0-03 |
-do- |
|
|
|
Total: |
———— 0-20 ———— |
|
439 Starred Questions were put down in the List of Questions
for oral answers out of which 66 Questions were orally answered and answers to
remaining ones were laid on the Table of the House.
(Time taken: 14 Hrs. 27 Mts.)
3188 Unstarred
Questions were put down in the List of Questions, out of which 1 Question was withdrawn
and 1 Question was cancelled and answers to remaining ones were laid on the
Table of the House.
STATEMENT BY MINISTER CORRECTING
ANSWER TO QUESTION
Statement correcting answer to question as detailed
below was made during the Session: —
|
Date |
Subject |
Ministry/ Department |
Name of the Minister |
Time taken Hrs.Mts. |
|
21-08-2006 |
Correcting the reply given in the Rajya Sabha on the 24th
July, 2006 to Starred Question 2 regarding “Gap between consumption and
generation of power”. |
Power |
Shri
Sushilkumar Sambhajirao Shinde |
0-01 |
|
|
|
|
Total : |
0-01 |
1669 Papers were laid on the
Table during the Session. Some of the
important papers that were laid are detailed below: —
|
Sl. No. |
Date |
Subject |
|
1.
|
25-07-2006 |
The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification)
Amendment Bill, 2006, as passed by the Houses of Parliament and returned by
the President for their reconsideration under the proviso to article 111 of
the Constitution. |
|
2.
|
07-08-2006 |
Report of the Justice R.S. Pathak Inquiry Authority. |
|
3.
|
18-08-2006 |
C.A.G. Report for the year ended March, 2005 (No. 15 of 2006) Union Government (Civil) - (Performance
Audit) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Department of Elementary Education and
Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development |
|
4.
|
-do- |
C.A.G. Report for the year ended March, 2005 (No. 19 of 2006) Union Government – (Civil) Autonomous
Bodies (Performance Audit) of the System of Revenue Generation by Doordarshan
and All India Radio, Prasar Bharati, Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting. |
|
5.
|
25-08-2006 |
Statement on Quarterly Review of the
trends in receipts and expenditure in relation to the budget at the end of
the financial year 2005-2006, under sub-section (1) of section 7 of the
Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management
Act, 2003. |
|
6.
|
25-08-2006 |
Statement on Quarterly Review of the
trends in receipts and expenditure in relation to the budget at the end of
the First quarter of the financial year 2006-2007, under sub-section (1) of
section 7 of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003. |
|
7.
|
-do- |
C.A.G. Report for the year ended March, 2005 (No. 16 of 2006) Union
Government (Civil) - Performance Audit on the Management of Food grains. |
|
8.
|
-do- |
C.A.G. Report for the year ended March, 2005 (No. 17 of 2006) Union
Government – (Civil) Performance Audit of Disinvestment of Government
Shareholding in Selected Public Sector Undertakings during 1999-2003. |
|
9.
13. |
-do- |
C.A.G. Report for the year ended March, 2005 (No. 18 of 2006) Union Government – (Civil)
Performance Audit of Conservation and Protection of Tigers in Tiger Reserves. |
|
|
|
(Total Time taken: 28 Mts.) |
9
REPORTS/STATEMENTS OF THE COMMITTEES PRESENTED/LAID ON THE TABLE
The
following Reports/Statements of various Committees were presented/laid on the
Table: —
|
Date |
Report/Statement |
||
|
25-07-2006 28-07-2006 |
Committee
on Railways
21st Report Action Taken Statements |
||
|
28-07-2006 |
Committee
on Health and Family Welfare 18th Report and Evidence |
||
|
31-07-2006 02-08-2006 |
Committee on Information Technology 34th Report 29th to 33rd Reports |
||
|
31-07-2006 11-08-2006 25-08-2006 |
Indian Parliamentary Participation at International
Conference Report on
the participation of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation in the Fifty-first
Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held at Report on
the participation of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation in the 18th
Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers held at Report on the
Participation of Indian Parliamentary Delegation at the Hundred and
fourteenth Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held at |
||
|
01-08-2006 02-08-2006 18-08-2006 21-08-2006 22-08-2006 |
Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes Study Tour Reports Final Action Taken Statements 9th to 11th Reports 12th to 14th Reports and Final Action Taken
Statements Final Action Taken Statements |
||
|
01-08-2006 |
Committee on Labour 15th
Report |
||
|
02-08-2006 |
Committee on Privileges 47th Report |
||
|
02-08-2006 |
Committee on Home Affairs 121st Report |
||
|
02-08-2006 |
Committee on Chemicals and
Fertilizers
13th Report and Action Taken Statements |
||
|
02-08-2006 03-08-2006 |
Committee on Defence 12th Report 13th Report |
||
|
02-08-2006 |
Committee on Urban Development 16th Report |
||
|
03-08-2006 |
Committee on
Energy 15th and 16th Report and Action Taken
Statements |
||
|
03-08-2006 |
Committee on Rural Development 22nd
Report |
||
|
03-08-2006 |
Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment 18th Report
|
||
|
04-08-2006 |
Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and
Justice 16th Report |
||
|
04-08-2006 |
18th and
19th Report |
||
|
07-08-2006 11-08-2006 23-08-2006 |
Committee on Public Accounts 28th and 30th Report 29th Report 31st and 32nd Report |
||
|
07-08-2006 11-08-2006 |
Committee on Empowerment of
Women
7th Report 8th
Report |
||
|
11-08-2006 |
Committee on
Subordinate Legislation 164th
and 165th Report |
||
|
18-08-2006 |
Committee on
Railway Convention Committee 5th
Report |
||
|
24-08-2006 |
Joint Committee on Offices of Profit 3rd Report |
||
|
25-08-2006 |
Committee on Human Resource Development 177th Report |
(Total time taken: 22 Mts.)
On
the 18th August, 2006, Shri Suresh Pachouri, Minister of State in
the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State
in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and some Members offered felicitations
to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha on his completion of four years in the office.
The Chairman thanked Members for the felicitations.
(Time taken: 01
Hr.)
FELICITATIONS TO SHRI ABHINAV
BINDRA, SHRI NAVANATH FARATADE AND MISS AVNEET KAUR SIDHU
On the 26th July, 2006, the
Chairman, on behalf of the House and on his behalf, offered felicitations to
Shri Abhinav Bindra for winning the Gold Medal in Men’s Ten Metre Air Rifle
shooting, Shri Navanath Faratade for winning the Gold Medal for juniors event
and Miss Avneet Kaur Sidhu for securing an Olympic Quota place in the World
Championship at Zagreb, Croatia.
(Time taken: 01 Mts.)
On the 24th
July, 2006, the Chairman made the following references:—
1. REFERENCE
TO THE VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI IN
The Chairman made a
reference to the earthquake
that struck
2. REFERENCES
TO THE VICTIMS OF SERIAL BOMB BLASTS IN MUMBAI AND TERRORIST ATTACKS IN
The
Chairman made a reference to the serial bomb blasts that took place in the
suburban trains of Mumbai on the 11th July, 2006, killing 184
persons and injuring more than 840 persons. He also made a reference to the
series of grenade attacks by terrorists, targeted at tourists in
The
House observed silence, all Members standing, as a mark of respect to the
memory of those who lost their lives in these tragedies.
(Total time taken: 05 Mts.)
I. On
the 10th August, 2006, the
Chairman gave the following ruling on the notice of privilege given by Shri
Natwar Singh:—
“Hon’ble
Members, I received a notice dated the 4th August, 2006 from Shri Natwar Singh wherein he has
stated, inter alia, that within a few minutes of the submission of the
Report to the Prime Minister the main findings of the Report were made
available to the media, that the Report had not been shown to him nor a copy of
it was laid on the Table of Rajya Sabha. He, therefore, requested that under
Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha, he
be allowed to raise this matter of breach of privilege of the House.
As
the House is aware, Justice R. S. Pathak Inquiry Authority was appointed by the
Government on the 11th November, 2005. The Government laid the
Report of this Authority, along with Action Taken Report, on the Table of the
House on the 7th
August, 2006. The Report of the Authority had been presented to the Government
on the 3rd August. It is sad as well as unfortunate that some
contents of the Report came to be known to the media that very day. It would
have been appropriate and desirable that when Parliament was in Session, no
part of the Report should have become public before the Report was presented to
Parliament. This is definitely a serious matter which needs to be looked into
and investigated. However, this matter, though very unfortunate and deplorable,
does not involve the question of any breach of privilege of the House. Past
precedents in similar cases also lead me to reach the decision that this matter
does not constitute any breach of privilege of the House. I accordingly hold that the said notice
is not admissible.”
II. On the 23rd
August, 2006, the Chairman gave the
following ruling on the notice of privilege given by Shri V. Narayanasamy and
other Members against Shri Jaswant Singh, Leader of the Opposition:—
“Hon’ble
Members, I had received from Shri V. Narayanasamy and other Members a notice
under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha
to raise the question of privilege against Shri Jaswant Singh, the Leader of
Opposition, for having placed on record on August 1, 2006 “a purportedly forged
letter and thereby misleading the House over the issue”. This notice mentioned
that Shri Jaswant Singh had claimed that the letter was correspondence between
Harry Barnes (former US Ambassador to India) and US Senator, Thomas W. Graham;
however, as per report appearing in a newspaper on August 2, Barnes had
(reportedly) denied having anything to do with what Shri Jaswant Singh claimed
to be the correspondence between Barnes and Graham. As per the notice, Shri
Jaswant Singh had, therefore, placed on record a purportedly forged letter and
thus misled the House.
In
his letter dated 10th August, 2006 offering comments on the notice, Shri Jaswant Singh, the Leader of
Opposition, says that he stands by his statement in the House on August 1 that
the said letter was written by Graham to Barnes, that the copy of this letter
was given to him and that it was not forged by him. Shri Jaswant Singh has also
authenticated copy of the letter for being placed on the Table of the House.
I
find that the basis of the said notice is merely a newspaper report viz. “that
the Indian Express however has reported today that Barnes has denied having
anything to do with what Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Shri
Jaswant Singh claims is the correspondence between Barnes and US Senator Thomas
Graham.” The comments offered by Shri Jaswant Singh, Leader of Opposition,
clearly reveal that the newspaper report was not based on substantiated facts.
This case, therefore, highlights an important lesson that greater care, caution
and prudence must be exercised in such a serious matter when relying on media
reports.
In
this case it clearly emerges that Shri Jaswant Singh, the Leader of Opposition
made the statement in the House on August 1 quoting from a letter which he
believed to be true and which he has also authenticated as true. It cannot,
therefore, be said that his statement in the House on August 1 was wrong or
made deliberately to mislead the House. Accordingly, no breach of privilege
arises from his statement. In view of this I do not consider it to be a fit
case to be raised as a matter of breach of privilege. I, therefore, withhold my
consent.”
(Total time
taken: 05 Mts.)
On
the 24th August, 2006, Shri Santosh Bagrodia raised a Question of
Privilege regarding authentication of papers by the Leader of the Opposition,
Rajya Sabha.
(Time taken: 03
Mts.)
On
the 27th July, 2006, the Chairman made the following observation of
the Hon’ble President with regard to reconsideration of the Parliament
(Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006:—
“As the Hon’ble members are aware,
Hon’ble President, while returning this
Bill,
has desired the Parliament to reconsider the Bill:
(a) in the context of the settled
interpretation of the expression ‘Office of Profit’ in Article 102 of the
Constitution, and
(b) the underlying Constitutional
principles therein.
Hon’ble President
has also desired that while reconsidering, among other things, the following
may be specifically addressed: -
(i) evolution of generic and
comprehensive criteria which are just, fair and reasonable and can be applied
across all States and
(ii) the implication of including
for exemption of the names of offices the holding of which is alleged to
disqualify a member and in relation to which petitions for disqualification are
already under process by the competent authority, and
(iii) soundness and
propriety of law in making the applicability of the amendment retrospectively.
I would,
therefore, urge upon the Hon’ble Members to focus on the issues referred to in
the President’s message while participating in the debate.”
(Total time
taken: 03 Mts.)
On
the 25th July, 2006, the Chairman announced that he has re-nominated
Prof. P.J. Kurien on the Panel
of Vice-Chairmen.
(Time taken: 01 Minute)
1. On the 25th
July, 2006, Dr. M.S. Gill (
2. On
the 3rd August, 2006, Shri Pyarimohan Mohapatra (Orissa) was granted
leave of absence from the sittings of the House from the 24th July
to 4th August, 2006 during the session.
(Time
taken: 02 Mts.)
RESOLUTION REGARDING ATTACK ON
On the 1st August, 2006, the Chairman placed the
following Resolution before the House:—
“This House unanimously expresses its deep concern
over the growing tension in India’s extended neighbourhood of West Asia that
has exacerbated an already complex and delicate situation in the region. It unequivocally condemns the large-scale and
indiscriminate Israeli bombing of
Deeply
concerned over the escalation of this conflict which affects
The Resolution was
adopted by the House unanimously.
(Time
taken: 02 Mts.)
MOTIONS FOR
ELECTIONS/APPOINTMENTS OF MEMBERS TO VARIOUS COMMITTEES/BODIES
|
Sl. No. |
Date |
Name of the Committee/Body |
Time taken Hrs.Mts. |
|
1.
|
28-07-2006 |
Joint Committee on Offices of Profit |
0-01 |