Cutting short its scheduled 18 sittings amidst rising Covid-19 scare, the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Wednesday after passing the Major Ports Bill, 2020, and 24 others previously, including the contentious farmers bills. Speaker Om Birla described the session as “historic” and congratulated members for attending the Parliament in “difficult situation” and fully observing the “health protocol”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked into the house as the house was in the process of passing the Major Ports bill , 2020. The opposition had boycotted the session.
On the concluding day during the zero hour majority of the issues were raised by the BJP members though a few TDP and YSR Congress Party members and AIADMK also spoke on the subjects relating to their States and Constituencies.
BJP MP Uday Pratap Singh(BJP) said the Modi-Government which brought milestone legislations on Triple-talaq, article 370, farmers bills and ‘resolved’ Ram temple issue, should bring a law for the control of population which, he said is the one of the main causes of unemployment, exploitation and corruption. He said law to control population was the need of the time.
Many of the issues raised were relating to Bihar as MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the development work undertaken by the State Government would ensure its victory in the October-November poll. One of the members from Mizoram sought speeding up of the shifting of Assam Rifles headquarters outside Aizawl which he said would solve the problem conflict between Assam Rifles and civilians.
Expressing happiness over the high 167 per cent productivity in the monsoon session, the Speaker said during zero hour 370 issues were raised and in particular mentioned September 20 when, he said, the house sat for late night with 88 MPs raising their issues. He said 855 papers were also laid by the ministers during the session.
Birla also mentioned the long and comprehensive discussion undertaken by the house on the Covid19 situation.
Before passing the Major Port bill, 2020, Union Minister for Shipping (Ind) Mansukh Mandaviya said the last port act was 1963,when the ports used to run in service model. “ Now in 2020 we need to bring technology to the ports. The PPE model can bring technology”, he said.
He stated that in the last five years things in ports has improved and Calcutta port which was running losses is now earning profit and workers receiving regular salaries and pension.
BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty while supporting the bill requested the government to rename Paradip port after former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
YSRCP MP sought the government that States should also be taken into consideration in the development of ports as he said “port board cannot decide alone on the development of the port”, he said.