Discussion on air pollution unlikely to be held in Lok Sabha this session

New Delhi: A discussion on pollution in the Lok Sabha was the casualty in the tug of war between the Opposition and the treasury benches even as the Capital choked. The Opposition’s disruptions during the discussions on the G Ram G Bill prompted the government to adjourn the House for the day. The government blamed the Opposition for the adjournment and said that they wanted a discussion on the matter.

There is unlikely to be any discussion on the issue in this Session as Friday is set to be the last day of the Winter Session. The Lok Sabha is likely to be adjourned sine die before lunch break, sources in the government indicated.

The discussion on the G Ram G Bill saw the Opposition members troop to the well of the House in protest of the government changing the name of the MGNREGA scheme by dropping the name of Mahatma Gandhi. “Some of the members tore papers as they protested. They went back on their promise for a discussion on the bill,” a senior minister said.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Opposition did not want to run. “They do not want a proper discussion on pollution, and so they are avoiding the debate,” Rijiju told reporters.

The trade-off, sources from either side of the Well said, was that while the Opposition discusses the MGNREGA Bill which the government was keen on, the government will agree to a discussion on pollution. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had insisted on a discussion on the matter, and had sought it under Section 193. The Lok Sabha was to take up the matter after the passage of the G Ram G Bill, and Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav was to reply on the matter after 5 pm.

“They did not keep their part of the bargain, so we did not think we are obligated too,” the minister added.

Congress sources said that the government did not want to run the House. Congress leader Manickam Tagore, who had filed an adjournment motion on the matter earlier this week, said that the government did not want to run the House. “These are excuses, if they had an intent to run the House, they would have,” Tagore said.

Trinamool Congress leaders, however, said that they had cautioned the Congress against agreeing on a discussion on MGNREGA. “It felt like we were walking into the government’s trap. But since the matter is close to Rahul Gandhi’s ideals, we agreed,” an MP from Bengal said.