Lok Sabha adjourned to meet again at 11:00 AM on Dec 18

New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): The Lok Sabha on Wednesday was adjourned at midnight, with the next date for meeting set to 11 am on Thursday. The Lok Sabha took up discussion on Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM-G Bill), with MPs sitting till midnight to express their views.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had earlier introduced the bill, moved it for consideration and passing.

Opposition members pressed for the bill to be referred to the standing committee for scrutiny.

Congress leader KC Venugopal told reporters that the SHANTI Bill and the bill to replace MGNREGA should have been sent to the Standing Committee.

"This important legislation has to be thoroughly examined. That is why we are asking that it be sent to the standing committees. What is wrong with it?... The government did not want to have an in-depth discussion of these two major issues, which have far-reaching implications. Nuclear power will affect all common people in India, especially those living near the plants.... Number two, with MGNREGA, basically, crores of employers and workers are going to be affected very poorly," he said.

The Lok Sabha passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 (SHANTI Bill) earlier today.

Party leader Shashi Tharoor also slammed the government for not sending "important bills" to the Standing Committee.

"I'm afraid it seems to be inevitable that the government never takes a bill back to rethink it in light of what the parliamentary debate indicates. If you listen to a large number of the opposition speeches, there were grave concerns expressed about liability, about the rights of our Indian citizens who might one day be facing problems as a result of this. The government remains impervious... The net result is that bills pass with the brute majority of the ruling party... On some issues like this, it would have been in the national interest to have a more detailed discussion in the committees... But this seems to be the government's style," he said.

"I'm afraid ultimately none of us wants anything to go wrong in our country's nuclear system. But if it ever does, I'm afraid some of the words we spoke will come back to haunt the government... Nuclear energy is one legitimate arrow in our quiver. It cannot be something we're over-dependent on... But passing a bill that removes all the protections thoughtfully embedded in the legislation over the years raises some real questions... I am not objecting to private participation per se. Still, the private participation should respect the conditions of security, safety and public interest that I pointed out in my speech," he added.

Notably, the Lok Sabha will discuss air pollution in several parts of the country on Thursday, with Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav responding to the debate at 5:00 pm. This discussion comes amid worsening air quality in Delhi, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 'very poor' levels.

The debate was sought by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who emphasised the need for a systematic plan to combat air pollution, citing its severe impact on children's health. The government has assured a solution-oriented discussion, with Minister Kiren Rijiju inviting suggestions from MPs across party lines.

Addressing the Lok Sabha on December 12, Gandhi said, "Most of our major cities are living under a blanket of poisonous air. Millions of children are getting lung diseases. Their future is being destroyed. People are getting cancer. Older people are struggling to breathe. This is an interesting issue because I'm confident there will be complete agreement between the government and us on it. This is not an ideological issue. Everyone in this house would agree that air pollution and the damage it is causing to our people are issues we would like to address together."

Emphasising the need for collaborative action, Gandhi proposed a detailed discussion, after which the Prime Minister put in place a plan for each city.

"It's important that the government develops a plan for how to get rid of air pollution in our cities. We are more than happy to cooperate with the government to develop such a plan. There are a few issues these days that the government and the opposition can agree on. I think the government should discuss it in parliament. We should try not to make it a discussion where we are abusing you, and you are abusing us," Gandhi added.

"I think we should make it a discussion where we are participating, we are showing the country that on this fundamental issue, there is agreement, and the best minds are going to be put into place to solve this issue. I think it would be helpful to have a detailed discussion. Then the Prime Minister puts in place a plan for each city, a methodical, systematic plan on how, within the next five or ten years, maybe we can resolve the problem. Still, how are we going to address the problem and make life for our people easier?" Gandhi said further.

In response to Gandhi's concerns, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju assured him that a discussion would be held to find a solution and invited suggestions from MPs across party lines.

"The government, from day one, had made our position very clear that on all important matters, the government is ready to discuss and also to find a solution, taking along the suggestions from all the members, including the principal opposition party led by Rahul Gandhi ji. Under the various laws and rules, we will see how we will take up this discussion," Rijiju said in the House. (ANI)