NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to amend the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002, and the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill-2023, which has provisions for sharing benefits of biodiversity commerce with locals and decriminalises biodiversity-related offences even as the opposition staged a walkout before the bills were taken up for discussion. The bills were cleared by the Lok Sabha earlier.
The House also passed by voice vote the Mediation Bill, 2021, which halves the maximum time for completing mediation proceedings to 180 days.
Meanwhile, opposition continued to disrupt the House over Manipur violence demanding a discussion on the issue and the presence of the Prime Minister. When the proceedings began after the pre-noon adjournment, opposition parties resumed their sloganeering, but chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar continued with the Question Hour despite the din. Finally, the opposition INDIA bloc staged a walkout.