File image of Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu. Image credit: @DDNewslive

Parliament LATEST Updates: On being asked about the eligibility under MGNREGA, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in the Rajya Sabha said that 14 crore job cards have been issued under MGNREGA so far.

“10 crore people are working, and women participation is 52 percent. I can provide district wise data later,” said Tomar.

The finance minister on Friday will respond in the Upper House to the discussion on Union Budget 2021, which she presented on 1 February.

The first leg of the Union Budget session in the Parliament will conclude on Friday, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said. Proceedings in the Upper House sitting has been extended till 3 pm.

The sitting for Saturday is cancelled. It was earlier decided that the session would conclude on 13 February instead of on 15 February.

Parliament will stay adjourned till 8 March. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be speaking in the House on Friday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the government for the three agriculture laws that have triggered protests by farmers at Delhi’s borders, saying these legislations will allow industrialists to buy unlimited quantity of foodgrains and hoard them.

Lending his support to the ongoing farmers protests, he said in Lok Sabha that it was not an agitation of the farmers only but a movement of the country and the government will have to repeal the laws.

Rahul also led his party members and those from the TMC and the DMK to observe a two-minute silence by standing to mourn the death of “200 farmers” during the ongoing agitation and said he was doing this as the government has not paid tributes to those who died during the protests.

“The intent of the three laws are to allow industrialists to buy unlimited quantity of foodgrains and hoard them as much as they want,” he alleged.

The former Congress president cited the old family planning slogan hum do hamare do to attack the government and said just four-five people are running the country.

“The new farm laws will destroy India’s food security system and will hurt rural economy,” he said.

The Congress leader also said that the farmers are not going anywhere but will overthrow the government.