Parliament was adjourned sine die on Monday, nearly two weeks ahead of its schedule, due to the Coronavirus scare with Lok Sabha passing the Finance Bill, 2020, without a discussion even as the Opposition wanted an announcement from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for a financial package to tackle COVID-19. The Minister did not address the issue.
The two-part budget session was scheduled to conclude on April 03.
The decision to shorten the session was taken before the House convened at 2 pm after a meeting was held by Speaker Om Birla with floor leaders of various parties.
The Rajya Sabha which passed budget for union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, too was adjourned after it completed its business in the evening.
Besides passing the finance bill, the lower house introduced two bills and the proceedings the concluded with the address of the Speaker Om Birla who touched on the ongoing coronavirus scare in the country and people’s strong resolve to cope with the epidemic.
Earlier, as the Finance Minister presented amendments to the Bill for passing, Congress legislative party leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhary said the Opposition was ready to pass the Finance Bill but wanted an announcement from Sitharaman for a financial package that would help mitigate the economic hardships generated by the pandemic. DMK member T.R. Baalu also made the demand.
The finance minister,however, did not speak on the issue. After the passage of the Bill, two more Bills for a National Security University was introduced by Minister of State for Home G. Kishen Reddy. “We are ready to pass the Finance Bill but we need to hear some announcement of an economic package from the Finance Minister,” said Choudhary.
Choudhary had also moved an adjournment forputting on hold the exercise of National Population Register in the country.
Before the house was adjourned Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the House. On the appeal of the speaker members gave a standing ovation to the first responders, medical professionals, essential services workers and media for being at the forefront in the fight against the pandemic coronovirus.
The Speaker also mentioned the success of the ‘Janata Curfew.’ He said that as MPs go back to their constituencies, they would be joining the fight too. As Choudhary sought to press for his demands, Birla also mentioned that opposition leader’s daughter too banged the ‘thali’ on Sunday in solidarity with the doctors and health workers who are securing the country from the epidemic.
Birla said apart from passing thegeneral budget , 13 bills were passed by the house.
“As we go back to our constituencies, we need to take on the challenge of this pandemic and turn a negative atmosphere into a positive one,” he said.
The Rajya sabha lasted longer than the Lok Sabha as it approved the Bill for the budget of Rs 1-lakh crore for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 2020-21. The upper house too was adjourned by its Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, in the evening.
It also approved and returned to Lok Sabha another Bill for the budget of Ladakh, as required under rules for money bills.
The Bills were approved with voice vote after a debate of over two hours. The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bills were passed by Lok Sabha on March 19.