 "Oppn demands compensation for Covid victims' kin, farmers at all-party meet")
Ahead of the winter session of Parliament, the Opposition on Sunday demanded compensation for the families of COVID-19 victims and the farmers who lost their lives during the farm laws protest in the all-party meeting called by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi.
"Many issues including, inflation, fuel price hike, farmers' issues and COVID-19 were raised in the all-Party meeting today. All parties demanded that a law guaranteeing MSP should be made," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge told ANI after the all-Party meeting convened by the government concluded at the Parliament Annexe Building.
"We demanded from the government that families of COVID19 victims be given compensation of Rs 4 lakhs each. Compensation should also be given to farmers who lost their lives during the farm laws protest," Kharge said.
"We expected PM Modi to attend the meeting today. But for some reason, he did not attend it...The government has withdrawn farm laws but PM had said that he could not make farmers understand. It means that these laws may be brought back in some other form in future," he added.
Meanwhile, YSRCP leader Vijay Sai Reddy stated that his party demanded to bring the Women Reservation Bill in the upcoming parliament session.
Leaders of various political parties including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were present at the Parliament for the all-party meeting.
The BJP-led government has a heavy agenda for the winter session with its legislative business including 26 new bills.
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The government has indicated that the bill to repeal three farm laws will be taken up on priority. The bill was cleared by the union cabinet earlier this week. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur had told reporters after the meeting that it will be the government's priority to get the three farm laws repealed in the winter session of parliament.
The government's agenda also includes the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021.
The winter session will commence on November 29 and is scheduled to conclude on December 23.
BJP and Congress both have issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present in both the Houses of the Parliament on November 29.
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