Highlights Of Parliament: Monsoon Session 2020

The Monsoon Session of the Parliament concluded on September 23, 2020 after both the houses adjourned sine die, a week ahead of their schedule, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The session began on September 14, 2020 and was scheduled to end on October 1, 2020. However, it was cut short as several MPs tested Covid positive. During the session, both Houses made arrangements for MPs to ensure physical distancing protocols, and the Parliament functioned in two parts with one House sitting in the morning and the other sitting in the afternoon. A total of 25 Bills were cleared by the Parliament, including 11 bills to replace the ordinances promulgated between April and June, this year. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Prahlad Joshi said that the productivity of Lok Sabha was approximately 167% and that of Rajya Sabha was approximately 100.47%. Also Read: Farmers' Bills Chaos : Rajya Sabha Suspends 8 Opposition MPs The highlights of key legislative actions during the Monsoon session are given below: Farmers' Bills 1. Ac to provide for Contract Farming The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 provides a national structure for contract farming via agreement between a farmer and a buyer before the production of farm produce. It protects and empowers farmers to engage with agri-business, at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework, in a fair and transparent manner. The Act establishes a Registration Authority to provide for e-registry and for registration of farming agreements. It also provides for conciliation and dispute settlement mechanism for settlement of disputes under the farming agreement. The Act received Presidential assent on 24th September 2020. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on 17th September, 2020 and by the Rajya Sabha on 20th September 2020. Click Here to read salient features of the legislation and Parliamentary debate on it. Also Read: Explained: The 3 Farmers Bills And The Controversies Surrounding Them 2. Act to enable free-market trade of farm produce The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 permits sale and purchase of farmers' produce at remunerative prices through 'competitive alternative trading channels' to promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free "inter-State" and "intra-State" trade of farmers' produce outside physical premises of markets notified under various State legislations. In simple terms, the Act permits the sale of agricultural produces outside the markets (mandis) regulated by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs), constituted by different state legislations. It also permits electronic trading of scheduled farmers' produce in the specified trade area. The Act received Presidential assent on 24th September 2020. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on 17th September, 2020 and by the Rajya Sabha on 20th September 2020. Click Here to read salient features of the legislation and Parliamentary debate on it. To Read a Critical Comment on the Farmers' Bills, Click Here. 3. Act to remove Stock Limit on Agricultural Produce The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 was passed by the Parliament 22nd September, 2020, to empower the central government to designate certain commodities such as food items, fertilizers, etc. as essential commodities and regulate its production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce, for securing their 'equitable distribution' and 'availability at fair prices'. The Act provides that the Central Government may regulate the supply of certain food items including cereals, pulses, potatoes, onions, edible oilseeds, and oils. This power can be exercised only under "extraordinary circumstances" like (i) war, (ii) famine, (iii) extraordinary price rise and (iv) natural calamity of grave nature. The Act was signed by the President on September 24, 2020. Click Here to read salient features of the legislation and Parliamentary debate on it. To Read a Critical Comment on the Farmers' Bills, Click Here. Labour Codes The three labour codes passed by the Parliament during this session are part of the four codes that consolidate 29 central labour laws. In 2019, the Code on Wages was passed. These three Bills relax labour laws to ease operational requirements for the Industries while introducing social security for all workers, including inter-state migrants and unorganized workers. They were notified by the Central Government on September 29, 2020. 1. Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020 The Code repeals as many as 13 central labour laws and empowers the state government to exempt any new factory from the provisions of the new Code, in order to create more economic activity and employment. The government has allowed a single licence for staffing firms to hire...

Highlights Of Parliament: Monsoon Session 2020

Akshita Saxena

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