A demand for enacting a stringent law to control the population by barring individuals with more than two children from government benefits as well as from contesting elections was made in Rajya Sabha on Friday. BJP's Harnath Singh Yadav made the demand through a Zero Hour mention, saying population explosion was putting enormous burden on resources and environment. During the current Budget session, Parliament should enact a stringent law barring anyone violating the two-child norm from contesting any village panchayat, assembly or parliament election.
Mohd Nadimul Haque (TMC) raised the issue of personal privacy of citizens being compromised through the government's bulk data sharing policy of vehicle registration. He said personal information can be accessed by anyone through a simple search of the vehicle registration number on road transport and highway ministry's mobile app 'Vahan'.
The ministry, which collects and holds data as part of the issuance of vehicle registration certificates (RC) and driver licenses (DL), has sold vehicle data to several government and private entities for Rs 65 crore, compromising on individual's privacy, he said.
The Vahan app maps registration details against names. In some cases, it can help track other details, including addresses, e-mails, and phone numbers, putting personal safety at risk, he added.DMK's P Wilson demanded appointment of election commissioners to be separated from the executive and bureaucrats not appointed to the body.
Independence of the Election Commission is a mirage and myth, he said demanding appointments by high-power committee similar to the one that appoints Lokpal. K Ravindra Kumar of the TDP wanted a national policy to be framed for setting up of capitals.
He said after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradhan, a capital at Amravati was approved by the state government led by TDP. The prime minister had even laid the foundation stone of the capital and Rs 1,500 crore was sanctioned from the central government.
But after a new government came in the state, three decentralised capitals - judicial, legislative and executive, were proposed, he said, adding there is no such provision in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. Acceptance of this model may lead to demands for decentralised national capitals in other parts of the country, he said demanding to evolve a national policy on the issue.
While L Hanumanthaiah (Cong) raised the issue of inadequate infrastructure including provision for electricity at schools, Binoy Visham (CPI) wanted the government to distribute free of cost face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
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