<span style="color: #222222;">The Lok Sabha has resumed discussion on Union Budget.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> <br />'' Bhartruhari Mahtab of BJD said allocation to crucial sectors like health and education are not adequate. It seems no lesson has been learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic, he said adding that  revenue collected through education and health cess have been used to cut down budgetary allocations to these important sectors.<br />''    <br />'' Jayant Sinha of BJP lauded the budget and noted that its provisions should be understood in the context of this being the ninth straight budget of the Modi government and fourth by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.<br />'' <br />'' That is why people have constantly blessed this government, he said, asserting that people have confidence that India is doing well. The GDP is growing at a fast pace and macro economic indicators are stable, he said.<br />'' <br />'' R S Verma of Bahujan Samaj Party said the budget offers no hope while unemployment, price rise, and economic conditions have worsened. The budget ignores farmers, the middle class, and the poor, he alleged.<br />'' <br />'' G R Reddy of TRS also criticized the budget, saying it is short on ideas and has nothing for the common man. The government's claim of making India a 5 trillion dollar economy will be an illusion, he claimed.<br />''  <br />'' Replying to a question in the Lower House, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said keeping a separate budget for agriculture would neither benefit the country nor the farmers.<br />'' <br />'' The minister was replying to a question asked by DMK member T R Baalu why the Union government does not consider bringing a separate budget for agriculture to address the problems of the farmers.<br />'' <br />'' During the global recession, the DMK member said, India "withstood" because of agriculture.    <br />''      <br />'' Replying to the DMK leader's question, the agriculture minister said noted that there used to be a separate budget for Railways earlier.<br />'' <br />'' However,  the government brought reforms and merged the Railway Budget with the main budget, he said.   If this is analyzed, people will see a vast difference in railway budget implementation,  the minister told the House during Question Hour.<br />''    <br />'' The Minister said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is fully committed to the farmers' interest and farming.<br />''  <br />'' While criticising some aspects of the budget, Bhartruhari Mahtab of BJD applauded Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a Budget that laid out a road map for supporting growth.  She  needs to be complimented as she presented the Budget amidst a challenging economic environment.  He  said that the Budget has a clear intent and managed to provide allocations in many areas that would contribute to making India a modern,  developed and inclusive nation.<br />'' <br />'' The Finance Minister  has signalled 34.5 per cent hike in the central government's capital expenditure plan to 7.5 lakh crore rupees  in the financial year 2022-23, he said.  He said that the proposed technology led development in health and education will help the two sectors.<br />'' <br />'' The unprecedented helping hand to states for their capital expenditure through provisions of one lakh crore rupees  of interest-free 50 year loan in addition to their normal borrowing ceiling is a special feature, he said.<br />'' <br />'' Referring to the aspects of the Budget, Mahtab said that the credit guarantee scheme being revamped for MSME to provide to  two  lakh crore rupees of new lending, additional credit to hospitality, tourism and related pandemic affected sectors being provided though the highly successful emergency credit line guarantee scheme would be significant for their revival.<br />'' <br />'' He however  said  the sectoral allocations have been slashed in critical sectors like agriculture and farmers welfare, higher education, rural development and women and child development. This could hamper growth, he said . Reduction in MNREGA is not going to help the poor.  He also said there is no provision made for the urban poor.<br />'' <br />'' He said that the Budget would have been better if it had been more focussed on issues affecting the common man like inflation and unemployment.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha began today with Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu felicitating the Indian Cricket Team for winning the U 19 Cricket World Cup.  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said it is an outstanding achievement by the Indian Cricket team in the Under 19 cricket World Cup and is a matter of pride for the country.<br />''      </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> During the Zero hour,  Susheel Kumar Modi of the BJP,  referring to the Virtual Digital Assets like Crypto currency being taxed, suggested the  government that 28 per cent of  GST be levied on lottery, betting and gambling.<br />''  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Vijay Sai Reddy of the YSR Congress raised the issue of delay in filling vacancies in Railways and  other government institutions.  He urged the government to fill vacancies in government  institutions  at the earliest.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">V. Sivadasan of the  CPIM pointed out that  around 30 lakh posts are vacant in the government.<br />''    </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Fauzia Khan of the NCP raised the  issue of  encroachment on waqf properties.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">She urged the government to set up a committee to look into the matter.<br />''    </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Tiruchi Siva of the DMK expressed concern over  the issue of rising level of migration from India to other countries due to a lack of jobs.<br />'' He said over 8 lakh Indians gave up their citizenship as they saw greater financial opportunities in other countries.<br />''  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena raised issue of many companies putting out social media posts on Kashmir Solidarity Day of Pakistan. She urged the government to seek apology from the companies.  Stating that these social media posts are challenging the sovereignty of the country.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> <br />'' Responding to this, Union minister Piyush Goyal said the government has taken a cognizance of the matter and the companies had been asked to apologize.  He said that the company has now issued an apology in the matter.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' Abdulm Wahab of the IUML raised the issue of several  Indians stranded in the UAE during the Covid pandemic.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' Mahesh Poddar of the BJP raised the issue of plight of minority Christian community in Pakistan. Referring to  incidents of vandalism directed at the Christian community in Pakistan,  he urged government to take steps to protect interests of minorities there.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The House witnessed noisy scenes when L Hanumanthaiah of the Congress raised the issue of the Hijab row in a Karnataka School .</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' The Chairman urged members to desist from making allegations against each other. He named Nasir Hussain of Congress  who continued to protest defying the Chair.<br />''      </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">During the Question hour, Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya,  responding to a question,  said that the government is giving Rs 2500 subsidy to farmers on per bag of urea: In reply to another question on deaths during the Covid pandemic,  the Minister said that  there have been 5 lakh 33 thousand deaths so far as per the data fed on the portal.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' On a question on deaths of children and women during the pandemic,  Minister of state for health  Bharati Pradhan said ,"States have been instructed to reduce infant mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio, through the use of various schemes,"</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' Health Minister said that In India 97.5 per cent eligible people have been vaccinated with first dose, and 77 per cent with the second doses.<br />'' '' Only vaccination has helped in fighting the Omicron wave," the Minister said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' The question hour was followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi responding to the discussion on Motion of Thanks  to the President's Address.   Mr. Modi said the President's s address gave a detailed roadmap on measures taken during COVID-19 wave.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' He  said that as India celebrates 75 years of Independence,  it is time to assess the direction that it will take when it completes 100 years.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' 'He said several steps have been taken to give a  direction to the country in the last 75 years. It is a good time to assess the direction that the country will take when it completes 100 years.,'he said.  Mr. Modi said the World is applauding the efforts of India to weather the Covid crisis.  'Today we are  moving fast towards achieving the goal of 100 per cent vaccination,'he said.  He also said that there has been record agriculture production during Corona crisis.<br />'' He said farmers got maximum MSP through Direct Benefit Transfer. Farmers in Punjab for the first time got DBT in their accounts.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' 'Lot of development took place during COVID-19 wave, he said adding that several  Infrastructure projects were completed during that  period.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> <br />'' He said that youth of the country held aloft our country's pride globally in sports, business, and other fields during the last two years.  He said that India played a leadership role during Covid crisis which is being applauded all over the world.  He said people wondered what will happen to India and how it will impact the world. Today, the world is praising efforts made by India. This is India's achievement, not of a particular party, the Prime Minister said.<br />'' On opposition charge of increasing unemployment during the Covid pandemic,  he said 1 crore 20 lakh were enrolled under EPFO. Around 65 lakh were of those of 18 to 25 years of age.  Hiring has increased.  NASSCOM has said that after 2017, around 27 lakh jobs were given.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' On opposition to lamenting price rise, he said that in contrast to other countries witnessing skyrocketing inflation, the Indian government managed to keep it under check.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' Despite the pandemic, the government tried to arrest price rise. If you compare it to UPA, then you will know what is price ris. Under UPA, it was in double digits, today we are having high growth.<br />'' Charging the government of playing negative politics, the PM said the  Leader of the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said Congress laid the foundation of the country and BJP only foisted its flag on it.<br />''  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Charging the Congress with playing dynastic politics, Modi said, 'the problem of the Congress is that they did not think beyond dynasty. The biggest threat to India is from dynastic political parties. When a family is supreme at a party, the first casualty is talent. For years the country has suffered this kind of thinking, he said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister said if Congress had not been there, Emergency would not have been there. Anti-Sikh riots would not have been there. Kashmiri Pandits would not have suffered.  Mr. Modi suggested that Congress change it to the Federation of Congress and correct the mistakes committed by its predecessors.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' In protest against the speech of the Prime Minister Congress walked out of the House.  Charging the Congress governments at the Centre of flouting Democratic norms, he said that during the period of a Congress Prime Minister,  nearly 50 opposition governments were destabilized.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' India will progress when regional aspirations are addressed. When States prosper, then the country progresses,' he said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' On charges that the BJP government is trying to change history, he said, 'Congress thinking has been trapped by urban naxals. We just want to improve the memory of some people. We are not changing history. Some people's history starts from a particular time, we are only going back. Some people's history is limited to one family.'</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' He also charged the Congress governments with doing injustice to Goa.<br />'' 'Goa became free 15 years after India got Independence, Pandit Nehru's biggest concern was his reputation internationally. He had said he would not send the army when freedom fighters were being fired upon. This is what the Congress did to Goa,' he said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' He also charged Congress with doing injustice to family of melody queen Lata Mangeshkar.  He said 'Lata Mangeskar's younger brother Hridyanath Mangeshkar was removed from All India Radio. His crime was that he presented a poem by Veer Savarkar.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />''  Later,  the House adopted the Motion of Thanks after rejecting the opposition amendments by voice vote.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' The Upper House has taken up discussion on the General Budget 2022 23.  Initiating the discussion,  P Chidambaram of the Congress charged the BJP led NDA government at the centre with mismanagement during the Covid pandemic.<br />''    </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> Mr. Chidambaram said there is no data available on oxygen shortage deaths, on the bodies flowing in rivers, on how many migrants walked to their homes.<br />''    </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Charging the government with failing to generate jobs, he said that it had promised 2 crore jobs a year during the Lok Sabha polls.  'The government promised to create  2 crore jobs a year.   He demanded to know how many jobs were created.<br />''      </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Questioning the government claims on employment generation, he said, 'India's economy has not yet recovered to the level of pre-pandemic years. Millions of jobs have been lost.  60 lakh MSME have been closed down. Per capita, income and expenditure has declined. '</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Participating in the discussion, Arun Singh of the BJP said the BJP government has taken several steps to improve the condition of the poor.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' 'When lockdown was implemented, the first announcement was made to provide foodgrains to the poor. MGNREGA budget was also increased by  this government, when compared to the budget under the Congress regime.<br />''    </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr. Arun Singh alleged that under the Congress government, the poor did not have pucca houses. Today under PM AWAS YOJANA, we give about one lakh 50 thousand rupees to each person, and over 2 crore houses have already been created,' he said.<br />''      </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> H D Deve Gowda of the JD(S) said the government was showing stepmotherly treatment to Karnataka.<br />''    </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Jawahar Sircar of the TMC charged the NDA government with selling off National assets of the country.  Terming high fiscal deficit as a matter of worry,  he said, 'the fiscal  deficit is extraordinarily high, and impacts the country's image in front of investors.'<br />''  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mohamed Abdulla of the DMK, said the Union budget has no mention of the doubling of farmer's income.  He alleged that hundreds of farmers died during the protests against farm laws.  Hundreds of farmers died opposing the farm laws, he said.</span>