Rajya Sabha to hold short discussion on White Paper, Ram Lalla Pran Pratistha on last day of Budget session

On Saturday, during the final session of the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha will conduct a brief discussion on the White Paper issued by the Central government and on the Pran Pratistha of Ram Lalla. BJP lawmakers Sushil Kumar Modi and Prakash Javadekar will lead the discussion on the White Paper, elucidating its implications for the citizens of India.

The approximately 60-page White Paper, presented in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by Finance Minister Sitharaman on Thursday, asserts that the banking crisis stands as one of the most significant and notorious legacies of the UPA government. It contends that after assuming power in 2004, the UPA government abandoned reforms and failed to build upon the sturdy foundation laid by the preceding BJP-led NDA administration.

The document suggests that the economy experienced rapid growth between 2004 and 2008 primarily due to the delayed effects of reforms initiated by the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Despite standing on the brink of emerging as a robust economy during this period, the UPA government allegedly neglected to capitalize on the groundwork laid by its predecessor.

Criticism is levied at the UPA government for its purported failure to capitalize on years of high growth to fortify the government’s budget position and invest in infrastructure for future growth. The White Paper accuses the UPA government of exerting political interference in the commercial lending decisions of public sector banks and cites controversies such as the 2G spectrum scam, the coal gate scam, and the Common Wealth Games (CWG) as detrimental to India’s reputation as an investment destination.

In response to the debate on the ‘White Paper’ in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Congress lawmaker Manish Tewari highlighted the accomplishments of the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and dismissed the White Paper as a ‘political manifesto’ of the ruling party. Tewari characterized the document as a ‘black wash’ rather than a genuine White Paper.

This session marks the final sitting of the current Lok Sabha before the upcoming general elections, expected to occur in April-May this year. Initially scheduled to conclude on February 9, the Budget Session has been extended by a day.