Thank you, Sir… My supplementary is this. India loses nearly 30 to 40 per cent of perishable agricultural produce due to inadequate cold storage and logistic infrastructure… This has led to consignments of Indian fresh fruits being rejected by foreign countries in the past three years. I want to know from the Government, through you, Sir: What step is the Government taking to improve cold chain storage and reduce post-harvest losses, particularly, for export-bound fresh fruits? Thank you, Sir
Sir, on behalf of All India Trinamool Congress, I rise to speak on the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024. India has 13 major ports, namely, Kolkata, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Tuticorin, Cochin, Port Blair and others. But Kolkata Port is the oldest port in our country established by the British East India Company in the year 1870. This port is known as the gateway to Eastern India for the rest of the world. The port is part of the 21st century Maritime Silk Route. As on March, 2018, the port is capable of processing annually 6,50,000 containers, mostly from Nepal, Bhutan and India’s Northern States which are landlocked places. The Hooghly River, where the port is located, experiences heavy siltation, reducing the navigable draft to six to seven metres from its original nine metres. This restricts the size and draft of vessels that can access the port. The lack of regular dredging further exacerbates the problem of fluctuating drafts. So, I would like to request the hon. Minister that to save the Kolkata Port, dredging of Hooghly River should be taken into consideration. At the same time, I would like to request the hon. Minister to take necessary steps for infrastructural development of the Kolkata Port along with all modern facilities. Dhamra, Mundra plus 12 other ports are operated by private companies. The company’s name is well-known. This is the Adani company. Our country has 34,000 miles of coastline. Despite that, we do not have large tanker ships; whereas small countries like Denmark, Japan are doing excellent work in the field of carriage of goods by sea. So, this is my one point. This Bill gives the current Government excessive power to regulate and control the transportation sector, leaving the State Governments, local bodies and small logistic businesses with no authority. By doing so, the federal structure of the country is being weakened. The Bill also introduces complex and unnecessary rules that small transporters and local businesses will find extremely hard to follow. These small operators will now have to meet the same high standards and regulatory requirements as large multinational companies, However, since small companies do not have the financial or technical capacity to meet these regulations, they will eventually be forced out of business. This move will benefit large logistic companies. The Government, instead of supporting small businesses, seems to be pushing them towards closure through heavy regulation. This clearly shows the Government’s lack of concern for small and medium enterprises, making it easier for large private corporations like Adanis to dominate the market. One of the biggest problems is that the Bill would significantly increase transportation cost across the country which will ultimately be passed on to customers. As a result, the price of essential items like grains, vegetables and other daily-use products will increase sharply, causing a rise in inflation. This will put a huge financial burden on lower and middle-income group. The Government has introduced provisions that allow private companies to operate major ports, cargo terminals and logistics infrastructure under the public-private partnership model. This means that large multinational companies will now control most of the logistic infrastructure leading to a monopoly in maritime logistics. Over a period of time, the public sector’s control over essential transportation will weaken, putting job security of port workers, affordability of transportation services, and State control at risk. The Government is pushing its privatization agenda under the excuse of modernisation, which will have long-term damaging effects on the economy and the common people. Another very concerning aspect is that the Bill grants legal immunity to large logistic companies in case of loss, damage, and delay of goods during transportation. This means that if a small trader’s goods get damaged or lost during transit, the large logistic companies will not be held accountable and the small traders will receive no compensation or legal protection. This provision is extremely unfair as it clearly favours big corporations … The Hague Rules of 1924 were amended by the Protocol signed in Brussels on 23rd February, 1968, and then, on 21st December, 1979 as Visby Rules. The schedule to the said Rules provides the Hague Rules …
Honourable Chairperson Sir, train services on the Tatanagar-Kharagpur-Howrah section of the South Eastern Railway are being delayed unexpectedly. Due to this, the daily commuters are facing severe problems. Several other important passenger trains, like Tata-Howrah Steel Express, Howrah Ispat Express, and HowrahGhatshila MEMU Express, are being delayed unusually. The daily commuters are facing deep suffering as local and express trains are not running on scheduled time on the Tatanagar-Kharagpur-Howrah section due to freight transport. I request the railway authorities to intervene in this matter immediately to ensure timely train services. Sir, the construction work of the dazzling Amrit Bharat Station at Jhargram is nearing completion, for which I thank the Honourable Railway Minister. Sir, my sincere appeal to the Honourable Railway Minister, with the completion of the construction work of Amrit Bharat Station in Jhargram, trains like RanchiHowrah Vande Bharat Express, Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Tejas Rajdhani Express should get a stoppage at Jhargram station. Sir, Bhubaneswar -New Delhi Tejas Rajdhani runs through the Jhargram station on Tuesday, Monday, Thursday and Friday in a week. After Balasore in Odisha, the train has a stoppage at Hijli in West Bengal. I demand that the stoppage at Hijli be avoided and the Jhargram train should be given a stoppage at least two days a week after Balasore. Sir, I demand a Jhargram-Digha Daily Express and two MEMU trains which will be beneficial to the many tourists and businessmen. I had previously demanded a railway line connecting Bandwan with Baripada via Jhilimili, Jhargram and Gopiballavpur. I would request to kindly consider this project with utmost importance. Besides, I would also request to immediately start the work on the sanctioned new railway line from Purulia to Jhargram via Mukutmanipur and Manbazar. I also demand to immediately begin the work on the proposed Bhadutala-Jhargram rail route via Lalgarh.
Thank you, Mr. Chairperson, Sir. I would like to draw the attention of the House to a very serious issue regarding the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act completely overrides Section 8(1) (j) of the RTI Act. The RTI Act had a provision whereby data could only be denied if it pertained to personal data or if it pertained to any information that could not be given to Parliament or to a person. Now, with the new DPDP Act, these exemptions in the RTI Act have been completely done away with. Now, the Government can deny all personal data and all data blanketly to anyone asking for data, which means you will not be able to obtain data on wilful loan defaulters or on anything that the Government does not want you to access. This completely undermines the RTI Act. Furthermore, there is a Section in the DPDP Act that states any group, including journalists, activists, and political parties, that possesses data can now be classified as a data fiduciary, subjecting them to all the obligations of a data fiduciary. The Data Protection Board, which is completely made up by the Government, has the power to impose fines ranging from Rs.250 crore to Rs. 500 crore. This will have a chilling effect on anyone seeking data. The Act has been gazetted, but rules have not yet been framed. So, we would really request the Government to re-look at it, and take it back to repeal Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act. Thank you.
Sir, under Rule 72(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, I oppose the introduction of the Indian Ports Bill, 2025. The Indian Ports Act was enacted in 1908. At that time, all the ports were under the Centre and under the ownership of the Central Government. But in recent times, many private ports have come up and parts of the Government ports have been leased to the private companies. The present legislation does not appear to be adequate to control the private ports. It has been proposed in the new Bill that a new adjudicating mechanism will be set up. So far as the wages of port workers are concerned, they are finalised through a tripartite mechanism in which the labour has an equal role. The present Bill may take away the rights of the workers. Hence, I oppose the adjudication and I oppose the Bill.
Thank you, Chairman, Sir, for giving me an opportunity to speak in the‘Zero Hour’. Shri Sabir Mallik, a young boy from Basanti in my Parliamentary Constituency of Jaynagar, went to Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana in search of a job as a migrant labour. He was brutally killed by some local Hindutvadi activists, who falsely blamed him for having consumed beef सर, हररयार्ा र्वनणमेंट सेन दोषी को कोई सजा तमली और न ही उनसेकोई मदद तमली। न ही ठेकेदार को उनका कुछ पैसा तदया। सर, श्री सातबर मतलक कीबॉडीपतिम बंर्ाल लेजानेके तलए उसकेपररवार को एबं लुेस पर 70,000 रुपए खचणकरनेपड़े। Are the Muslims not the citizens of our country? Is this ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’िorिamritmaya Bharat? मैंMinistry of Social Justice and Empowerment सेदरख्वास्ि करना चाहिीह ं तक उसकेपररवार को मआु वजा तदया जाए। …
Sir, I rise to speak on the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025. चेयरमैन सर, इस जबल का 11 माचच, 2025 को इंरोिक्शन जकया गया था। उस समय मैंने इंरोिक्शन का जवरोध जकया था। श्री मनीश ज वारी जी नेभी इंरोिक्शन का जवरोध जकया था। उसकेकुछ जदन बाद यह जबल हमारेसामनेआया है। मेन चीज क्या ह? ै वह यह हैजक हमारेदेश मेंजो लोग आ ेहैं, उन पर हमेंकं रोल रिना है। मैं इसकेबारेमेंबाद मेंजिटेल मेंबाद मेंबोलूंगा। भार मेंयहजबल चारोंपरुानेजबल्स को लेकरबनाहै– The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, which was during the colonial times; The Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, again, which was during the colonial times; The Foreigners Act, 1946; and The Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act, 2000. सर, होम जमजनस्री के जहसाब के अनसुार, a total of 98,40,321 (98 lakh) foreigners visited India between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. सर, हम क्या चाह ेहैं? हम चाह ेहैंजक हमारेदेश मेंज्यादा टूररस्टडस आए।ं उनकेआनेसेहमारा र्ॉरने एक्सचेंज अच्छा होगा। हम यह भी चाह ेहैंजक कोई अनजिज़ायरबे ल एजलमटें जहन्दस्ु ान मेंनहीं घसुे। The main thing is to have a balance, सं लु न होना चाजहए। हम जजन लोगों को ला ेहैं, हम पूरी दजुनया मेंएिडवटाचइज़ कर ेहैंजक भार मेंआओ, ाज महल देिो, लाल जकला देिो। … राम मंजदर भी देिनेआएगं े, लेजकन उसका मझुेप ा नहीं है। … वहां ो केवल जहंदूलोग जा सक ेहैं, जो लोग बाहर रह ेहैं। … ) अ :, सर, येसब हो सक ा है। … लेजकन, हम जान ेहैंजक सबसेज्यादा लोगबांनलादेश सेआएह।ैंयनुाइटेि स्टेटडस से17 लाि लोग आए थे, यूके से9,86,000 लोग आए थे। The number of foreigners who came on student visa during 2021, 2022, and 2023 was 22,159; 31,910; and 40,431 respectively. It is not a large number. इजमग्रेशन केबारेमेंएक जसंपल लॉ ह हम जर्जजक्स मेंबोल ेहैंजक water flows from a level of higher pressure to lower pressure. इजमग्रेशन का म लब यहहै human beings flow from a poorer country to a richer country. जो रोजहंनया है, वह म्यान्मार सेबांनलादेश आयेगा और बांनलादेश सेकुछ लोग जहन्दस्ु ान में आएगं ।े जहन्दस्ु ान के लोग अमेररका जाएगं े। हम चाह ेहैंजक बांनलादेश के घसुपैजठए हमारेयहाूँन आयें, लेजकन हम जक्लयर नहीं हैंजक अमेररका मेंजो लोग िकं ी करके जा ेहैं, आप शाहरुि िान की िंकी जर्ल्म देिेंगे ो आपको सब सार् हो जायेगा जक जक ना कष्ट झेलकर लोग जा ेहैं। वेक्यों जा ेहैं? वे इसजलए जा ेजक वहाूँअच्छी जजन्दगी जमलगे ी, वहाूँअच्छी इनकम जमलेगी। अमेररका नेइन्सजल्टंग-वेमें हमारेलोगों केहाथ, पैर मेंबेडी लगाकर यहाूँभेजा। हम कुछ नहीं बोल पाये। अमरेरकन एयरर्ोसचके प्लने नेउन्हेंचंिीगढ़ मेंड्रॉप कर जदया, जबट्ट साहब को प ा होगा। यह हमारी बडी इन्सल्ट थी। हम अभी भी अपनेलोगों को समझा नहीं पायेजक आप ऐसेम जाओ। बाहर जाकर इन्सजल्टि होंगे, मार िाएगं , े अमेररकन पजुलस केहाथ मेंपकडेजाओगे। यह द:ुिद बा है। मोदी जी की सरकार उनको यहाूँरि नही पाएगी। अभी मझुेयह कहना हैजक इस जबल मेंक्या है, इस जबल मेंचार कानूनों को इकट्ठा करके लाए हैं, लेजकन जो लोग यहाूँआएगं े, उन पर भी ररजस्रक्शन है। जैसेहम फ्रांस सेजाएगं े, मैंगया था, वह बोला it is visa on arrival. If you have diplomatic passport, no visa is required. हमारेयहाूँभी जापान, साउथ कोररया और यूएई सेजो आएगं े, उनको कोई वीजा नहीं लगेगा। हमारेयहाूँकुछ एररयाज हैं, जो ररजस्रक्टेि हैं। अंिमान, नॉथच-ईस्ट, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, यहाूँपर र्ोरने सचकोस्पेशल परजमट लग ाहै।हम भी ररजस्रक्ट करनेकी कोजशश कर ेहैं। एक रर् हम उन्हेंबलुा ेहैंजक आओ-आओ भाई और दूसरी रर् हम बोल े हैंजक यहाूँ मु नहीं जा सक ेहो। इस पर मनीश ज वारी जी नेजोबोला हैजक इसमेंसं लु न होना चाजहए। मेरेख्याल मेंअजम शाह जी की पसचनैजलटी भी ऐसी है, थोडेकडेहैं,…ि उन्होंनेबडा जस्टर् कानून बनायाहै। मैंचाह ाह ूँजक इस जबल कोएक जॉइंट जसलेक्ट कमेटी मेंभेजा जाए, जैसा मनीश ज वारी जी नेसजेस्ट जकयाहै।…ि(व्यवधान) सर, एक जमनट रूजकए, मेरी बा पूरी होनेवाली है। आप असम केह, ैंहम बंगाल केहैं, हम ो पडोसी ह।ैंअं मेंमझुेयही कहना हैजक नया कुछ नहींहुआ है। जो था, वही है।… सर, एक जमनट सनु लीजजए, जरूरी बा है।… हम पडोसी हैं, ो एक-दूसरेकी मदद करनी चाजहए। अभी बोल ेहैंजक जो आएगं े, उनकोपासपोटचऔरवीजा चाजहए।एक इजमग्रेशन ऑजर्सर कीपोस्ट होगी।…ि मेरीबा हो गई ह।ै एक ब्यूरो ऑर् इजमग्रेशन बनेगा, जो पहलेनहीं था। जो दो िाउटर्ुल सब्जेक्टडस हैं, एक है एजकुेशनल इंस्टीटडयूटडस एिं यूजनवजसचटीज, इन लोगों के जलए अजनवायचहैजक अगर र्ॉरने सेकोई आया है ो वेसरकार को ब ाएगं । महोदय, यह अच्छा हैक्योंजक अफ्रीकन कं रीज सेबहु र्ॉरने सचआ ेहै : महोदय, मेरी बा लगभग समाप्त हो गई है। वेर्ॉरने सचकोलका ा मेंआ ेहैं और दो सौ, पांच सौ रुपयेदेकर र्ुटबाल िेल ेऔर सीि ेहैं। उसकेबाद आप देि सक ेहैंजक वेकहां पहुंच जा ेह।ैंइस पर ररजस्रक्शन होनी चाजहए लजेकन यह भी ोहोना चाजहए जक र्ॉरने सचस्टूिेंटडस हमारी यूजनवजसचटी मेंपढ़ें, हमारी यूजनवजसचटी का स्टैंििच थोडा अच्छा हो। हमारेलोग ऑक्सर्ोिच, केम्ब्रीज, केजलर्ॉजनचया, हावचिचजा ेह।ैं : जबहमारेलोगबाहर जा ेहैं ो बाहर सेभी लोग हमारेयहांआएगं े।
Sir, unaccountable money has been recovered from one of the judges of the Delhi High Court. This is not only the last one incident. The factum of recovering money from the High Court Judge is really eroding the confidence on Judiciary. Judges are also public servants like us. Why will any investigation not commence if a complaint of corruption is made against a judge? Irrespective of the fact that the Chief Justice of India grants permission or not, will it be commenced? If a corruption is there, will it be commenced? Recovery of money is there. These types of instances are there. Why will Lokpal be not allowed to carry on an investigation if a complaint comes against a judge who is a public servant like us? Here, a judge has been transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court. This will not resolve the problem. I share the sentiments of the lawyers of the Allahabad High Court. The Allahabad High Court or the Calcutta High Court cannot be a dumping ground. Corrupt judges are there. All complaints are there. They are being transferred to the Calcutta High Court or Allahabad High Court. It should not be made a dumping ground.
Honourable Chairperson, in my Lok Sabha Constituency, there is a ferry ghat called Aamdahi situated in the Chubka 8 no. Gram Panchayat area which falls under the Jhargram Block. A permanent bridge is needed to be constructed here over the Kangsabati River. If this bridge is constructed, it will connect Jhargram District Sadar and Paschim Midnapore District Sadar, and it will benefit the people of the area to earn their daily bread and get better medical and educational aid. It will also lessen the distance between Khalseoli and Midnapore towns. At present, the ferry ghat has a temporary bamboo bridge. Thousands of people from the Khalseoli, Manikpara, and Lodhasuli areas use this bridge daily to commute to Gopiballavpur. The bridge collapses every year during the rainy season due to rising water levels in the river. During that time, many people risk their lives to cross the river in small boats. Sir, similarly in Garhbeta block no1 which falls under Panchim Midnapore district, there is an urgent need to erect a bridge in Kalikapore Kalimandir ferry ghat over the Shilabati river which is situated in Shandhipur Gram Panchayat area. Geographically the bridge is situated at the junction of three districts- Bankura, Hoogly and Paschim Midnapore. Once this bridge is constructed, it will reduce the distance to the Midnapore district, and it will benefit the students, patients, and daily commuters. It will significantly reduce the travel time. Sir, through you, I would request the Honourable Minister to construct a 1000-meter-long permanent bridge from Aamdahi in Jhargram District to Kankabati in Paschim Midnapore over the Kangshabati River. I would also request him to construct another 125m bridge over the Shilabati River at the Kalikapore Dewan Kalimandir Ghat, which is situated in Sandhipur Gram Panchayat area under Garhbeta Block no 1. Thank you.
Madam, while deliberating on the discussion, my first point would be that I was alarmed to see the Indus Valley Annual Report-2025 released by Blume Ventures, which has highlighted alarming situation prevailing in our financial sector. First of all, it says, “India remains the world’s fastest-growing major economy, now ranked number four in market cap at 4.5 trillion dollar. Yet, on a per-capita level, India ranks 149th– continuing to highlight the economic paradox India lives in.” That is the most alarming and crucial issue because the economic inequality has reached an all-time high. Ninety per cent of the Indians do not have the kind of income to be able to spend anything on discretionary goods; the report says that. It also says that behind India’s low 3.2 per cent unemployment hides a deeper story: only 22 per cent have regular salaries, with just 9 per cent holding formal contracts. The majority (58 per cent) are self-employed, a third of which are unpaid family workers. Our demographic dividend faces a formalization challenge unlike Russia or China. The vast army of unemployed youth in our country has posed a serious threat not only to economic stability, but the social order or disorder. My next point would be that we have experienced over the years that corporates are getting concessions one after another for the benefit of our country. But, unfortunately, what we have seen is, after the corporate-tax was reduced from 30 per cent to 22 per cent, the public exchequer had to suffer Rs.1 lakh crore of revenue loss in 2020-21 alone, even though, the private investment is declining fast as it decreased from 21 per cent in 2022-23 to 13 per cent in 2023-24. It further dropped by 1.4 per cent in the December quarter of 2024-25. While public investments by the Central Government and the State Governments grew by 11.8 per cent and 34.6 per cent, respectively, then why should corporates be given such concessions in a routine manner? Let the present rate of 22 per cent of corporate-tax be enhanced to 30 per cent to keep balance in revenue generation between the Governments, both at the Centre and the States and the corporates. With regard to income-tax disparity, as it appears again from the Indus Valley Report by Blume Ventures, ‘India is deepening rather than widening’. While tax filers/return filers, grew to 75 million, actual taxpayers fell to 28 million. It is just 2 per cent of population of our country versus 10 per cent in China and 43 per cent in US. In our country, only 2 per cent pay taxes. Those few taxpayers now shoulder a three-time higher burden than a decade ago, showing concentration, not expansion, of economic power. This is another cause of concern for our economic and social tension. My time is limited. I will not say much on this because my predecessor has already spoken. The hon. Finance Minister disclosed in Lok Sabha that the Government has written off bad loans, Non-Performing Assets, a staggering Rs.16.35 lakh crores worth over the past decade. The data revealed that the bulk of these writeoffs pertained to large industries and services, which alone accounted for about Rs.9.26 lakh crore, last year of the total NPA, written off during this period. Now, the Government says, ‘No, no, although we have written off, the recovery process is going on through the Debt Recovery Company/National Company Law Tribunal, etc’. Now, the hon. Finance Minister also pointed out that the Reserve Bank does not maintain a company-wise list of written-off loans and the disclosure of borrower specific information is restricted under Section 45E of the RBI Act, 1934. So, it was an Act passed during Colonial Rule. What prevents the Government from repealing Section 45E of the RBI Act? The Government has repealed so many colonial, archaic Acts, maybe more than 1,000 or 2,000. I don’t remember. But, I think that this Section should be repealed to create a transparency in all the links because public money is involved. We have seen how many, in which way the fraudsters are eating up the public money, particularly, of the nationalized banks, not to speak of the other scheduled banks. Now, what is happening in the recovery proceedings, particularly, after the introduction of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code in 2016? Addressing a Rozgar Mela, in June, 2020, hon. Prime Minister stated that 99 per cent of deposits of the public in banks have become safe. He added that the wealth of those who looted banks will be attached. This is another Report. Now, according to the Report by Credit Rating Agency, CareEdge, the overall recovery rate has fallen in the past few years, the cumulative recovery rate has been on a downtrend decreasing from 43 per cent in quarter one of financial year 2020 to 32.9 per cent in quarter four of financial year 2022 and 32 per cent in quarter one of financial year, 2024. The recovery rates present a different picture. Sir, 12 initial big ticket accounts have been announced by the RBI — at that time, Section 43E was not there; hence was disclosed. Then, for the cases ending in resolution, the recovery rate, on an average, falls from 31.9 per cent to 24.4 per cent! Haircuts in CIRP under IBC is so high that it goes from 36 per cent to 91 per cent! And, the RBI disclosed the names of a few companies in 2016. Sir, Section 45E of the Act was also there at that time, even then, I am referring to some companies — DHFL, Videocon Industries, Seeba Industries, JSW, etc. Sir, the rate of haircut is from 36 per cent to 91 per cent! And, particularly, the public sector banks have lost huge amount of money due to such haircuts. My submission to the hon. Finance Minister would be to revisit the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. And, possibly, a time has come that it should be replaced with some other robust mechanism to stop all this loot which is going on, sometimes in the name of legal authority, legal institution, and sometimes otherwise.
