The Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up discussions and voting on the demands for grants pertaining to the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Jal Shakti today. According to an official list released by Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh on Tuesday, the session will see Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and C. R. Patil presenting the demands for grants under their respective ministries.
In addition to the discussions on the Railway and Jal Shakti Ministries, thirteen other Union Ministers are expected to lay papers related to their respective portfolios.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has stepped up its efforts to raise key concerns by submitting adjournment motions. Congress MPs have filed motions seeking immediate discussion on two pressing issues—the affordability and quality of medicines, and the impact of the Reserve Bank of India’s new regulations on jewel loans.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore submitted an adjournment motion highlighting the potential hardships caused by the RBI’s recent policy change. Tagore pointed out that under the previous rule, customers could repay only the interest accrued on jewel loans during the loan period and had the option to renew their loan without settling the entire principal amount. However, the new rule mandates repayment of the full amount before customers can repledge their jewelry for fresh loans. He expressed concern that this change would severely affect small businesses, farmers, and financially vulnerable sections of society.
Another Congress MP, Vijay Vasanth, raised concerns over the rising cost of medicines, emphasizing that the sharp increase in drug prices has placed a heavy burden on ordinary citizens. Citing data from the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), he noted that the prices of more than 800 essential medicines have surged by 10-20 percent over the past five years. Vijay Vasanth also called for a discussion on the affordability of life-saving drugs, the dominance of pharmaceutical monopolies, and the limited contribution of India’s domestic pharmaceutical industry, particularly in areas such as the local manufacturing of oncology medicines.
The Lok Sabha reconvenes at 11 a.m. today after a break for the Holi festival, which lasted until March 17.
