Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill passed in Lok Sabha

New Delhi [India]: The Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, which provides for contentious exemptions for constructions on forestland, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, amidst the protests against Manipur violence from the opposition.

Earlier in the day, six bills, including four related to Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha as the government pushed its legislative agenda following Speaker Om Birla admitting the no-confidence motion against the government moved by Congress and other opposition parties.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ introduced in Lok Sabha, Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 were introduced in the House.

Two other bills – The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 – were also introduced.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha, which saw opposition members pressing for their demand for discussion on Manipur situation under Rule 267, saw several disruptions. Leader of the House Piyush Goyal raised objections to some remarks of Congress leader P Chidambaram pertaining to the Chair.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the initial remarks of the Congress members and his clarificatory remarks later were not in consonance.

Lok Sabha Speaker accepted the no-confidence motion against the government moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on behalf of opposition parties of I.N.D.I.A alliance.

“Honourable members, I have to inform the House that I have received a motion of no confidence in the Council of Ministers from Gaurav Gogoi,” Birla said.

He admitted the motion after ascertaining support to it and said the time of debate will be communicated later.

Opposition members expressed their opinion on the bills being introduced by the government.

The two Houses have seen repeated adjournments since the commencement of monsoon session of Parliament on July 20.