Today in Parliament, the lower house held a discussion on air pollution, water quality and plastic. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar spoke on climate change and appealed every person to plant at least seven trees which will create an oxygen bank.
Here are the main highlights from the Parliament:
- “India has decided to become part of the solution for climate change. I appeal to each and every person to plant at least seven trees which will create an oxygen bank,” Javadekar said.
- He also exuded confidence that the country will take less than the 15 years, time taken by Beijing, to improve air quality in Delhi.
- Congress MPs including Shashi Tharoor, Ghulam Nabi Azad held protests in Parliament premises demanding transparency in electoral bonds.
Congress Party MPs stand in protest outside Parliament against the BJP govt’s dubious & corrupt practices.
The BJP govt lied to the people of India & our democratic institutions to pass the Electoral Bond Scheme, only to make themselves richer. pic.twitter.com/EZXRpTAy2P
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 22, 2019
- A bill to ban the production, import and sale of e-cigarettes and similar products was introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday. The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Bill, 2019 seeks to replace an ordinance issued recently.
- The issue of the death of nearly 17,000 migratory birds near Rajasthan’s Sambhar lake was discussed in the Parliament. BJP’s Kirori Lal Meena demanded an inquiry into the deaths.
- Compulsory voting Bill was taken up for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha. Ravi Kishan speaks in favour of Compulsory Voting Bill in Lok Sabha.
- The government is not privatising the Indian Railways but only outsourcing commercial and onboard services to private players in order to provide better facilities to commuters, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
- Asserting that the Lower House represented 130 crore people, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that all the MPs agreed to the fact that single-use plastic must be banned.
- “If the MPs of India take this resolution then the message will be spread among 130 crore people of our country,” he said.
- Comparing the situation of air pollution in India with that of London and China, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Lok Sabha said “our approach is spasmodic in nature.”
ब्रिटेन और चीन ने वायु प्रदूषण की आपात स्थिति को अपने-अपने फॉर्मूले से निपटाया। यहां दिल्ली के साथ बड़ी संख्या में दूसरे शहर प्रभावित हैं। हम चांद पर जाने के लिए तैयार हैं लेकिन क्या हम वायु प्रदूषण से नहीं निपट सकते?- अधीर रंजन चौधरी, आईएनसी#WinterSession #शीतकालीनसत्र pic.twitter.com/gR3VZhJqrC
— Lok Sabha TV (@loksabhatv) November 22, 2019
- Both the Houses adjourned till 11 am on Monday.
The Winter Session of Parliament began on November 18 and will continue till December 13. This marks the 250th Session of Rajya Sabha.