PRESS RELEASE

       

     

The Budget Session, 2008 of Parliament commenced on Monday, 25 February, 2008.  Lok Sabha has been adjourned sine die on Monday, the 5 May, 2008 and Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the 6 May, 2008. 

 

2.       The Session was held in two parts.  In the first part, the sittings of the Lok Sabha were held from 25 February to 19 March, 2008. The sittings of the Rajya Sabha continued upto 20th  March.   The Lok Sabha was in recess from 20th  March to 14th  April  and Rajya Sabha from 21st  March  to 14th  April to enable the Department related Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants relating to various Ministries/Departments.

 

3.       The Session yielded a total of 28 sittings of Lok Sabha – 16 sittings during the first part and 12 sittings during the second part and 30 sittings of Rajya Sabha – 17 sittings during the first part and 13 sittings during the second part.

 

4.       The Budget Session, 2008 being the first Session of the year, the President addressed the Joint Session of Parliament on 25 February, 2008.  Motion of Thanks on the President Address in Lok Sabha was moved by Shri Ajit Jogi and seconded by Smt. Krishna Tirath.  In Rajya Sabha it was moved by Shri Janardan Dwivedi and seconded by Shri Abhishek Manu Singhvi. It was discussed and adopted by the two Houses during first part of the Session.

 

5.       The Session transacted Financial Business relating to Railways, General Budgets and Budget relating to the State of Karnataka for 2008-09 and also discussed important issues including price rise.  The Railway Budget was presented on 26th  February, 2008, the Economic Survey on 28th  February and the General Budget on 29th  February, 2008.  General discussions on the Railways and General Budgets were held in both the Houses. The Lok Sabha also discussed and voted the Demands for Grants on Account and Supplementary Demands for Grants relating to Railways and General Budgets and Demands for Excess Grants relating to Railway Budget.    General discussion on Karnataka Budget was also held in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 

 

6.        Bills replacing five Ordinances namely; (1) the Delimitation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008, (2) the Railways (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008, (3) the Sugar Development Fund (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008, (4) the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Ordinance, 2008 , and (5) the Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 were also considered and passed by both Houses during the Session. 

 

7.       During the session, the two Houses considered and adopted the Statutory Resolutions regarding Proclamation issued by the President under Article 356 of the Constitution, in relation to the States of Nagaland and Karnataka.

 

8.       During the Second Part of the Session, Demands for Grants relating to the Railways were discussed and voted and the related Appropriation Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and subsequently returned by the Rajya Sabha.  Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministries of (i)  Home Affairs; (ii) Defence; (iii) Rural Development; and (iv) Information and Broadcasting, were discussed and voted by the Lok Sabha. The Demands for Grants of the remaining Ministries/Departments which could not be discussed were put to the vote of the House and were voted in full on 24th  April, 2008.

 

9.       During this period, the Rajya Sabha discussed the working of Ministries of (i) Agriculture; (ii) Human Resource Development (part discussed); (iii) Commerce and Industry; (iv) Rural Development; and (v) Labour and Employment. The two Houses also considered and passed/returned the Finance Bill, 2008.

 

10.     In the Lok Sabha, one Short Duration Discussion under Rule 193 on price rise was held.  Besides, three Calling Attentions and one Half-an-Hour discussion were discussed in Lok Sabha. In Rajya Sabha, three Short Duration Discussions under Rule 176, were held on (i) recent incident of attack on North-Indians in various parts of Maharashtra; (ii) price rise; and (iii) Foreign Policy-related Developments.

 

11.     During the Budget Session 22 Bills (18 in Lok Sabha and 4 in Rajya Sabha) were introduced.  Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed 20 Bills each.  Total number of Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament during the Session is 19.  One Bill each was withdrawn in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. A list of Bills introduced/ passed is enclosed.

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LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS TRANSACTED DURING BUDGET SESSION, 2008.

 

(i)                 BILLS INTRODUCED IN LOK SABHA

 

1.      The Finance Bill, 2008

2.      The Delimitation (Amendment) Bill, 2008

3.      The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2008

4.      The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2008

5.      The Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 2008

6.      The Sugar Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2008

7.      The Appropriation (Railways) Vote on Account Bill, 2008

8.      The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2008

9.      The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2008

10.  The Forward Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2008

11.  The Appropriation  (Vote on Account) Bill, 2008

12.  The Appropriation Bill, 2008

13.  The Karnataka Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2008

14.  The Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2008

15.  The Appropriation (Railways) No.3 Bill, 2008

16.  The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2008

17.  The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2008

18.  The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2008

 

(ii)               BILLS PASSED BY LOK SABHA

 

1.      The Appropriation (Railways) Vote on Account Bill, 2008

2.      The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2008

3.      The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2008

4.      The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2008

5.      The Delimitation (Amendment) Bill, 2008

6.      The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2008

7.      The Appropriation  (Vote on Account) Bill, 2008

8.      The Appropriation Bill, 2008

9.      The Karnataka Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2008

10.  The Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2008

11.  The Sugar Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2008

12.  The Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 2008

13.  The Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2008.

14.  The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2008

15.  The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2008

16.  The Appropriation (Railways) No.3 Bill, 2008

17.  The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2008

18.  The Finance Bill, 2008

19.  The Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry Bill, 2008

20.  The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2007

 

(iii)             BILLS INTRODUCED IN RAJYA SABHA

 

1.      The Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2008.

2.      The Central Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008

3.      The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2008

4.      The Constitution (One Hundred Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008

 

(iv)              BILLS PASSED BY RAJYA SABHA   

 

1.      The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2008

2.      The Appropriation (Railways) Vote on Account Bill, 2008

3.      The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2008

4.      The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2008

5.      The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2008

6.      The Appropriation  (Vote on Account) Bill, 2008

7.      The Appropriation Bill, 2008

8.      The Karnataka Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2008

9.      The Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2008

10.  The Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2008.

11.  The Delimitation (Amendment) Bill, 2008

12.  The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2008

13.  The Sugar Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2008

14.  The Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 2008

15.  The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2008

16.  The Appropriation (Railways) No.3 Bill, 2008

17.  The Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry Bill, 2007

18.  The Central Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2007

19.  The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2008

20.  The Finance Bill, 2008

 

(v)               BILLS PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

 

1.      1.  The Appropriation (Railways) Vote on Account Bill, 2008

2.      The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2008

3.      The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2008

4.      The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2008

5.      The Appropriation  (Vote on Account) Bill, 2008

6.      The Appropriation Bill, 2008

7.      The Karnataka Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2008

8.      The Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2008

9.      The Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2008.

10.  The Delimitation (Amendment) Bill, 2008

11.  The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2008

12.  The Sugar Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2008

13.  The Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 2008

14.  The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2008

15.  The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2008

16.  The Appropriation (Railways) No.3 Bill, 2008

17.  The Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry Bill, 2008

18.  The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2008

19.  The Finance Bill, 2008

 

(vi)             BILL WITHDRAWAN IN LOK SABHA

 

The Forward Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2006

 

(vii)           BILL WITHDRAWAN IN RAJYA SABHA

 

The University Grants Commission (Amendment) Bill, 1995