The budget session of parliament 2013 was adjourned till noon following protests by the Opposition over the recent hike in petrol price.
All hell broke loose in Lok Sabha when Speaker Meira Kumar called for the Question Hour. Members of Trinamool Congress, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and left parties entered the well of the house even as the members of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shouted slogans demanding rollback of the price hike.
Members of Rajya Sabha also protested against the hike from the aisles. The BJP, AIADMK, Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal United (JDU) and Left disrupted the proceedings of the House.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) hiked the petrol price by ₹1.40 per litre (excluding VAT) on Friday, citing constant increase in international oil prices and deprecitation of the value of money to dollar.
"The price increase has been necessitated by two factors - the international MS prices have increased from $128.57/bbl to $ 131.00/bbl since the last revision; and the rupee has depreciated from Rs.53.43 to Rs.54.15 per US Dollar during the period," said IOC in a statement.
IOC last hiked petrol price by ₹1.50 (excluding VAT) on 16 Feburary.
The budget session of parliament 2013 started on 21 February with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging for co-operation and a constructive session in Parliament.
There is a long list of bills the government wants to pass in the budget session. There are 71 bills in all, including - the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2013, Land Acquisition Bill, Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill 2011, National Food Security Bill, Educational Tribunals Bill, bill to make provision for quota in promotions for SC, ST, Finance Bill 2013, Women's Reservation Bill, Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place Bill, and Right to Grievance Redress Bill.
