New Delhi, 06 August (H.S.): Parliament witnessed another turbulent day on Thursday as the Monsoon Session entered its 14th sitting, with repeated protests by Opposition members disrupting proceedings in the Lok Sabha while key legislative business remained on the government's agenda.

Shortly after the House assembled, Opposition MPs raised slogans, prompting Speaker Om Birla to urge members to allow Parliament to function. He assured the House that all issues could be discussed through proper parliamentary procedures. Despite his appeal, the continued disruptions forced the Lok Sabha to be adjourned until 2:00 p.m. The Rajya Sabha also witnessed protests, although proceedings continued for some time before being adjourned until noon.

One of the major items listed for discussion in the Lok Sabha is the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to be introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The proposed legislation seeks to amend several existing laws, including the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, the Income-Tax Act, 2025, and the Finance Act, 2026. The amendments are aimed at streamlining taxation and financial regulations while addressing operational and legal requirements arising from recent policy changes.

In the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister is scheduled to move the Appropriation Bill for consideration. The Bill seeks parliamentary approval for expenditure incurred in excess of the sanctioned budget during the financial year 2022-23. Having already been cleared by the Lok Sabha, the legislation now awaits approval in the Upper House.

Meanwhile, the Centre has intensified efforts to build political consensus on two significant constitutional proposals—the Delimitation Bill and the Women's Reservation Bill. The proposed Women's Reservation legislation seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies from 2029. The Delimitation Bill, on the other hand, proposes increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from the current 543 elected seats to 816, following a fresh delimitation exercise based on updated population data.

Government sources indicated that discussions are underway with several political parties, including the Congress and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies, to secure wider support for the measures after an earlier attempt failed due to insufficient numbers in Parliament.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified on Wednesday that the government has no proposal to convene a special session of Parliament between August 16 and August 18, indicating that efforts to advance the legislation will continue during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar