Tag: Zero Hour

Jogen Chowdhury speaks on the reduction of funds for art institutions | Full Transcript

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Full Transcript

Sir, I am really surprised to find the allocation of funds made by the Government in this year’s Budget for various existing major national art and cultural institutions.

In comparison to earlier allocations, it is ridiculously low. We are frustrated to find that the Government has slashed the allocation by 50 per cent or even 100 per cent. It is fantastic! How can a progressive Government do it?

I have listed the name of 33 art and cultural bodies. I give few examples here for your information –

  • Lalit Kala Academy: Allocation has come down from Rs 20 crore to Rs 11 crore
  • Sangeet Natak Academy: Allocation has come down from Rs 59 crore to Rs 12 crore
  • Sahitya Academy: Allocation has come down from Rs 21 crore to Rs 9 crore
  • Zonal cultural centres: Allocation has come down from Rs 87 crore to Rs 55 crore
  • National School of Drama: Allocation has come down from Rs 43 crore to Rs 13 crore
  • National Gallery of Modern Art: Allocation has come down from Rs 22 crore to Rs 5 crore
  • National Museum: Allocation has come down from Rs 30 crore to Rs 11 crore

Such allocations have come, is unimaginable. It has no vision. It is a backward movement for us if we want to be a progressive nation. Traditionally, since thousands of years, India is a country with rich cultural heritage.

Great personalities like Abul Kalam Azad, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru knew the importance of the art and culture of India and had vision to create various institutions after India’s independence. But the present Government seems totally insensitive to the cause of art and culture and they drastically reduced the allocations in various art and cultural institutions.

Such low allocations of funds will not only discourage the institutions but will make them crippled and inactive.

If we look towards the western countries, even China, we find that they are vigourously encouraging art and culture. Most of the western cities have famous art and cultural institutions. China has planned to revive their traditional art and culture. They have made a large Art District in Beijing and they have plans to make hundreds of museums all over the country.

Besides, art and culture also attract tourists. Tourism brings money to the exchequer. So, we need to have a very thoughtful visionary plan to rejuvenate our art and culture of this country even for the development of our nation.

SS Ray raises concern for distressed farmers due to incessant rains and the plight of potato farmers of WB | Transcript

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Sir, on behalf of the All India Trinamool Congress, I share the concern of the Hon’ble Members. Due to untimely incessant rain and hail storms in different part of the country, including the districts of South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Purba Medinipur in the State of West Bengal, vast agricultural lands are affected and huge quantity of crops like wheat, pulses, potato, paddy and fruits have been destroyed.

This has caused unbearable suffering and irreparable losses to the farmers.

As a result and effect, many farmers could not bear the shock of the vagaries of the nature and died out of heart attack.

Sir, the situation is undoubtedly alarming. Hence some financial package must be announced by the Central Government towards relief and rehabilitation of the affected farmers without further loss of time.

Sir, at the same time, I would like to invite the attention of the Central Government to the plight of the potato farmers in West Bengal who have been subjected to distress. They are not getting remunerative prices of potato. Although the Government of West Bengal has taken special measures to arrest the situation, I would like to request through you, Hon’ble Minister to take stock of the situation and if possible, some financial assistance should be given to the State Government so that more steps can be taken in this regard.

Thank you.

Derek O’Brien speaks on the alleged gang rape of a nun in Ranaghat | Transcript

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Sir,

After Nirbhaya, all of us in this House and in this Nation thought it cannot get any worse. We cannot be any more brutal than as those men were two years ago.

Unfortunately, day before yesterday, in Ranaghat in Bengal, we saw another shameless act of brutality. This is not an issue where anyone wants to do any politics with, that is why I thought it would be proper to give a Notice and bring this issue up here in the Rajya Sabha.

Sir, it is a very sad incident and frankly all that the State Government can do is to show some swift action and  get some action done. Within a few hours of this incident, a CID probe had been ordered and 7 people have been detained. I will not indulge in politics and compare one incident to the other; this is not the occasion to do it. I think the issue is bigger. For all you know, it may have been a dacoity in the straight sense. So, I do not want to come to any conclusion. But the issue is bigger Sir.

The issue is one of women’s rights. The issue is one of the safety of the people who run these minority institutions. The issue is one of respecting our mothers, our sisters and making India a safer place to live in.

Sir, at some point we have to understand that both the rapist and their victims are us, because sometime the way we act in these cases is itself shameless.

Pratima Mandal raises issue of honey collectors in Sunderbans | Transcript

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Sir, Sunderbans is the world’s largest continuous mangrove forest. It is known for its Royal Bengal Tiger and is also famous for its honey collected from, a large cluster of bee-hives. The honey collectors, locally known as moulis, are mostly living at Gosaba, Hingalganj and Basanti block of Sunderbans.

They collect honey from the dense forest, by risking their life. Since, it involves good expense and, as they are economically unsound, they take money from money lenders, who are locally known as mahajans. The money lenders take high rate of interest and also a good share of honey or collectors are forced to sell the honey at a fixed low rate. It is very painful.

If the Government takes some safety measures and allots funds, then they can save their lives and reduce their hardship.

Saugata Roy raises the issue of privatisation of airports in 4 cities | Transcript

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Hon’ble Deputy Speaker Sir, I seek a permission to raise a Matter of Urgent Public Importance in the Zero Hour. If permitted, I would raise the issue briefly as under:

The Government of India has proposed to privatise four airports in India namely Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Jaipur recently. These airports employ more than five thousand employees. These airports were modernised recently by spending above Rs 5000 Crore from the public exchequer. Privatisation means handing over assets built at a public cost to private parties. The Airport Authority of India which runs over more than 125 airports is fully equipped with all infrastructures in par with international standards.

Now the step of the Government will ultimately cause the air travelers to be taxed heavily. With the best airports privatised, the Airport Authority of India will go into financial bankruptcy. The CAG in its report mentioned that privatisation of Delhi Airport is a big scam. A similar scam is going to happen here. I have already spoken to the Civil Aviation Minister and the Prime Minister against privatisation.

In this circumstance, I appeal to this August House to stop this move of the Government to save these airports and ensure the security of services of airport employees.

The employees of Airport Authority, led by the recognised Airport Authority Employees Union have been agitating against privatisation for sometime now. They will be holding a dharna in Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 10 March, 2015 and a one day token strike all over India will be observed on 11 March, 2015.

I appeal to all the Members cutting across political line, to support this against privatisation.

Vivek Gupta speaks in Zero Hour on National Forest Programme | Transcript

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Sir, one of the 12 mega diverse countries of the world, India is the habitat to 12% of the world’s biodiversity and 2% of the earth’s surface. The stress on the environment for resources like fuel, power, minerals, among others, has adverse implications on forest cover, diversion of forest land, environment and wildlife.

Sir, I would like the Minister to reconsider delinking forest land from the wildlife impact assessment system by the National Wildlife Board and allowing projects within a 10-km range of wildlife zones, in demarcated eco-sensitive zones.

Also, Sir, many project developers are permitted to cut down forests for canals, power lines and highways before final clearances and before the consent of tribals is obtained.

Sir, yesterday, in the Rail Budget we got to hear that all those who performed well would be rewarded. But, Sir, in the case of Bengal a gross injustice have been done. West Bengal has added the maximum forest cover in the last two-three years, yet our funding against CAMPA has been nil and we have been allocated the lowest amount of funds for the National Afforestation Programme. We are trying to show an example to the rest of the India that forest cover can be increased while going for sustainable development and infrastructure. But sadly we are not receiving any support from the Central Government.

I would urge the Minister to look into this immediately and urgently, and do something to encourage us so that we can do much more.

Thank you, Sir.