Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid continued Oppn uproar

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 p.m. on Tuesday following loud protests by Opposition members after Deputy Chairman Harivansh rejected 20 notices submitted under Rule 267.

Citing non-adherence to procedural requirements, the Deputy Chairman declined to admit any of the notices, triggering immediate uproar from the Opposition benches.

The session began with routine business, as ministers laid papers and made departmental statements. Among those who placed documents on the table were Prataprao Jadhav (Health and Family Welfare), L. Murugan on behalf of Jitin Prasada (Commerce and Industry), Pankaj Chaudhary (Finance), B.L. Verma (Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution), and Shantanu Thakur (Ports, Shipping and Waterways).

Reports from various parliamentary committees were also tabled.

Priyanka Chaturvedi presented reports from the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology. Milind Murli Deora laid the Twenty-sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance, focusing on India’s economic roadmap amid global uncertainties. Sulata Deo submitted the Second Report of the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit, seeking clarification on the eligibility of sitting MPs for the post of Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

Geeta alias Chandraprabha presented two reports from the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, addressing the functioning of DISHA Committees and promotion of renewable energy in rural areas.

Statements on government action taken were also laid by Geeta alias Chandraprabha and Iranna Kadadi, particularly on wage rates and employment under MGNREGA.

Ministers B.L. Verma, Ravneet Singh, and Tokhan Sahu made statements regarding the implementation of recommendations from their respective committees on Consumer Affairs, Food Processing Industries, and Housing and Urban Affairs.

However, proceedings were disrupted when the Deputy Chairman initiated Zero Hour and called the name of Kanad Purkayastha to raise a public interest matter. Opposition members broke into loud protests, raising slogans and pressing for a debate on electoral matters, with particular focus on the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in Bihar.

The disruption grew so intense that a key announcement from the Deputy Chairman was drowned out in the din.

With the House descending into chaos and order proving elusive, the Deputy Chairman was compelled to adjourn proceedings until 2 p.m.

--IANS

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