New Delhi: Following over an hour-long discussion, the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by a voice vote.
Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol replied to the debate. After a few minutes of sloganeering and demands for the presence of the Union Home Minister in the House, the Opposition staged a walkout and did not participate further in the discussion.
Before taking up the Bill, Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh informed the House that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had urged members to consider the National Co-operative Development Corporation Bill first. When the Rajya Sabha proceedings resumed after the earlier adjournment, BJP member Sushmita Dev clarified her alleged derogatory remarks against CPI(M) member John Brittas.
Earlier in the morning session, soon after the listed papers were laid on the Table, Brittas had raised the issue of being targeted with the “lungiwala” slur by the member Sushmita Dev. “If he feels I need to approach him and say something, I would be more than happy to. I love the people of Kerala, the Northeast, Karnataka…,” she said.
Leader of the House JP Nadda suggested that the concerned members could meet in his chamber and resolve the “misunderstanding.”
Meanwhile, Opposition members continued raising slogans over the Ram temple donation theft issue and demanded the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Upper House.
The Deputy Chairman then asked Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol to move the motion that the Bill to further amend the National Co-operative Development Corporation Act, 1962, as passed by the Lok Sabha, be taken into consideration.
When the Deputy Chairman called Mamata Thakur to speak, she raised the issue of why the Home Minister was not present in the House. The Chair did not allow her to continue and called the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.
Kharge also raised the same point, stating that since the Bill was in the name of the Home Minister, he must be present. The Deputy Chairman declined to allow him to speak further and asked Leader of the House JP Nadda to respond.
Nadda said the government was ready to discuss any matter but urged the Opposition not to run away from the discussion. The proceedings then continued. Members who spoke included Ramrao Sakharam Wadkute of the BJP (Maharashtra), KRN Rajesh Kumar of the DMK (Tamil Nadu), and Sulata Deo of the BJP (Odisha).
Deo raised concerns that the Bill sought to take powers away from local village cooperatives and vest them with the Central government. She argued that it would create space for middlemen and push farmers from the clutches of moneylenders into those of corporates, causing further distress.
Dr M Thambidurai of the AIADMK (Tamil Nadu) spoke in support of the Bill. Sanjay Kumar Jha of the JD(U) (Bihar) supported the legislation and highlighted the achievements of the JD(U) government in Bihar through the cooperative sector.
Other members who spoke in favour included Rajendra Hiralal Jain of the NCP (Maharashtra), Vijaya Chintakayala of the TDP (Andhra Pradesh), Ravi Chandra Vaddiraju of the BRS (Telangana), Amar Pal Maurya of the BJP (Uttar Pradesh), and Dr M Dhanapal. After the discussion, the Bill was passed by a voice vote. The Deputy Chairman then took up the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026.
(IANS)
