New Delhi: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Tuesday expressed displeasure over the Women Reservation Bill finding no mention in President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint session of the Parliament January 31 this year.
Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, BJD MP Pinaki Misra said it was somewhat an untrustworthy document, and it suppressed several truths.
The address talked about women’s empowerment, but it did not mention the Women’s Reservation Bill, which is pending for long, he said, adding, “We are deeply unhappy that Women’s Reservation Bill did not find mention in the address.”
Sources said the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010. However, it could not be passed by the 15th Lok Sabha. The Constitution amendment bill lapsed as the term of the 15th Lok Sabha ended.
He also said the address talked about the poor, but in the Budget, the government slashed allocation to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA). The Finance minister needs to reconsider this, he added.
The BJD member also said that some half-truths crept into the statement on medical colleges as well. Most colleges lack good infrastructure and equipment, he said. Misra, however, said that government policies on mines, minerals and air connectivity have worked well.
The BJD MPs demanded that the Union government take steps for inclusion of 169 tribal communities of Odisha in the state ST list and also demanded allotment of 10 kg of rice to the poor under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
Highlighting Odisha’s contribution to the nation-building and natural calamities being faced by the coastal state, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra reiterated his party’s demand for special focus status to Odisha. He requested the Centre that the fund sharing should be 90:10 (90 percent by the Centre and 10 percent by the state) for at least three years after a natural calamity.
Patra requested the Union government not to deprive seven lakh poor people of Odisha of the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and also requested for inclusion of Ho, Mundari, and Bhumij tribal languages in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.
The BJD MP requested abolishment of 18 percent GST on kendu leaf and also demanded that Food Corporation of India be asked to procure parboiled rice from Odisha.
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