opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 1248 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Sale of Confiscated Properties
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Rameshbhai Lavjibhai Dhaduk

Government of India Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1248 TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019

' `

AGRAHAYANA 4 1941(SAKA)

## SALE OF CONFISCATED PROPERTIES

## 1248: SHRI RAMESHBHAI LAVJIBHAI DHADUK:

Will the Minister of Finance be pleased to state:

- a) whether various departments of the Ministry like Central Board of  Direct  Taxes (CBDT) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) are not selling the confiscated properties for a long time resulting in their devaluation and loss; of revenue to the exchequer due to it;
- b) if so, the details thereof;
- C) whether the Government proposes to formulate a concrete plan to tackle this issue so thal said departments could earn adequate revenue by disposing of properties confiscated in a scheduledl and transparent manner;
- d) if so, the details thereof; and
- e) the details of the properties disposed of by ED during the last three years with the revenue earned through it? along

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a) to (d) - There are no instances of not selling a confiscated property for a long time by the Inzome Tax Department, resulting in their devaluation under the Prohibition of Benami Property Act,  1988. However; there is no provision of 'confiscation' of property under the Income Tax Act, 1961\_

ED has confiscated a number of movable and immovable   properties under PMLA and FEMA However; since the said confiscation is subject matter of further appeal before various judicial forum, the Directorate can dispose such properties only after all related judicial matters are finally settled.

Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has confiscated properties of defaulters in 5 cases but the same has not been auctioned due to pendency of Judicial process/litigation. yet

- (e) The details of properties disposed by ED during the last three years is as under:

| Year                   | Revenue earned by disposing Properties   |
|------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 2017                   | Nil                                      |
|                        | Rs 195.93 Lakhs                          |
| 2219 (upto 31.10.2019) | Nil                                      |
Lok Sabha Question No. 1246 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Venture Education System
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Abdul Khaleque

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1246 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2019

## Venture Education System

1246. SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the venture education system prevailing in the State of Assam; and

(b)  whether  the  Government  will  consider  to  provide  financial assistance  to  these institutions until Assam State Government take a decision about provincialisation of these institutions?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) & (b): As per information received from State Government of Assam, Venture High Schools under Secondary Education Department as defined in the 'The Assam Education (provincialisation of services of Teachers and reorganisation of educational institution) Act, 2017' means High Schools imparting Education up to class  X and established by the people of the locality prior to 01-01-2006 which has received permission from the State Government and recognition from the Board of Secondary  Education,  Assam  on  or  before  01-01-2006.  Similarly,  Venture  Higher Secondary Schools as defined in the same Act, 2017 means High Schools imparting Education up to class XII and established by the people of the locality prior to 01-012006 which has received permission from the State Government on or before 01-012006. State Government of Assam has reported that the financial assistance to these venture  schools  has  been  discontinued  for  the  last  several  years  as  per the intervention of the Hon'ble High Court. The matter is sub-judice.

- ******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1245 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Tax Benefits for PMVVY Subscribers
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: L.S. Tejasvi Surya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1245

ANSWERED ON 25.11.2019

## TAX BENEFITS FOR PMVVY SUBSCRIBERS

1245. SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government intends to extend tax benefits like other schemes to the subscribers of Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of funds which the Government has allocated towards this scheme;
- (c) whether the Government intends to allocate more funds towards the scheme and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has found any irregularity and difficulty in implementation of such a scheme; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the number of subscribers to this scheme from Bengaluru specifically and Karnataka in General?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a): Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) is exempted from Goods and Services Tax (GST).
- (b) & (c): The scheme is being implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The scheme provides for an assured return of 8% per annum payable monthly for 10 years. The difference between return generated by LIC and the assured return of 8% per annum is borne by Government of India as subsidy on annual basis and is reimbursed to LIC.

The amount reimbursed by Government of India to LIC, since inception of the scheme, is tabulated below:

(Rs. In Crores)

| YEAR                      |   PMVVY |
|---------------------------|---------|
| 2017-2018                 |   58.02 |
| 2018-2019                 |  152.17 |
| 2019-2020 September 2019) |   88.34 |

(d) & (e): The scheme has been implemented seamlessly. As per LIC, the number of subscribers to this scheme from Bengaluru and Karnataka are 14,405 and 24,067 respectively as on 31.10.2019.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1242 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Skill Development in Kerala
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Kumbakudi Sudhakaran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1242 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2019

## SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN KERALA

## 1242.  SHRI KUMBAKUDI SUDHAKARAN:

## Will  the  Minister  of  SKILL  DEVELOPMENT  AND  ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state :

- a) whether the Government has conducted any skill development programmes in Kerala, particularly in Kannur district between 2014 and 2019;
2. (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  district  wise  fund allocation to Kerala for skill development for financial year 2019-20; and
3. (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI R. K. SINGH)

- (a) Under Skill India Mission, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is  implementing  a  flagship  scheme  called  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-20 with an objective to provide skilling to 1 crore prospective youth under Short Term Training (STT) courses and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) across the country including in the State of Kerala for the period 2016-2020 with an outlay of Rs. 12,000 Cr.

As  on  11.11.2019,  69.03  lakh  (appx.)  (38.01  lakh  STT  +  31.02  lakh  RPL) candidates have been trained under the scheme in the country; out of which, 1.63 lakh  candidates  (1.10  lakh  in  STT  and  0.53  lakh  in  RPL)  are  in  State  of  Kerala including district of Kannur.

- (b) and (c) PMKVY has two components known as Centrally Sponsored Centrally Managed  (CSCM)  being  implemented  by  National  Skill  Development  Corporation (NSDC)  and  Centrally  Sponsored  State  Managed  (CSSM)  being  implemented  by State  Skill  Development  Missions  of  the  States/  UTs  popularly  known  as  StateEngagement Component of PMKVY (2016-20).

Under CSCM component of PMKVY 2016-20, there is no provision of Statewise or district-wise funds allocation. However, under CSSM component of PMKVY 2016-20, 25% of the funds and corresponding physical targets of PMKVY 2016-20 have been allocated to the States for the implementation of scheme through State Skill  Development  Missions  across  the  State  covering  all  districts.  Under  this component, after evaluation of the proposal received from Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE), Government of Kerala, Ministry has given in-principle approval of  a  total  target  of 71,450 candidates and corresponding financial allocation of Rs. 88.01 Cr. for FY 2017-20. Out of this, Rs. 22 Cr. has been released during FY 201718  to  Government  of  Kerala  for  the  implementation  of  CSSM  component  of  the Scheme in State of Kerala covering all districts.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1235 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Establishment of Cultural Centre in Ladakh
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Jamyang Tsering Namgyal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1235 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH

## NOVEMBER, 2019

## ESTABLISHMENT OF CULTURAL CENTRE IN LADAKH

## 1235.   SHRI JAMYANG TSERING NAMGYAL:

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plans or has taken any steps to establish a Cultural Centre in Ladakh as announced by Hon'ble Prime Minister during his visit in Ladakh in 2018;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the time by which the Government is likely to do so; and
- (d) the  steps  taken/being  taken  for  preservation  and  promotion  of Ladakhi  Culture  for  organizing  cultural  programmes  in  the  newly declared Union Territory?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a) to (c) To protect, promote and preserve the various forms of folk art and culture throughout the country, the Government has already set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata,  Dimapur  and  Thanjavur.  These  ZCCs  organize  various  cultural  activities and programmes on regular basis all over India. The erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir (which includes the newly created Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh) is a member State of North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC),  Patiala.  If  UT  of  Ladakh  provides  appropriate  land,  the  proposal  can  be considered as per the policy.

(d) Folk  artists  of  Union  Territory  of  Ladakh  are  invited  by  these  ZCCs  to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Ladakhi Culture in the cultural programmes/festivals organized by them all over India.

Besides, these folk artists of Ladakh are also invited to perform during major festivals like Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) organized at national level.
Lok Sabha Question No. 1234 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Economic Survey’s Recommendation on Retirement Age
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1234

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th  NOVEMBER, 2019

## ECONOMIC SURVEY'S RECOMMENDATION ON RETIREMENT AGE

1234. SHRI LAVU SRI KRISHNA DEVARAYALU:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that the Economic Survey presented this year recommends an increase in retirement age for employees to 70 years;

- (b) if so, the details of the recommendation along with its status;

- (c) whether it is true that the Ministry is planning to bring a new proposal of 33 years of service or 60 years whichever is less for Central Government employees instead of implementing the above recommendation; and

- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with its status?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a)  The Economic  Survey  2018-19 did not recommend an increase the retirement age for employees to 70 years. It merely highlighted the experience of other major countries.

- (b) Does not arise.

- (c)  Presently,  there  is  no  proposal  in  the  Government  to  fix  the  retirement  age  of Government employees as 60 years or 33 years of service, whichever is earlier.

- (d) Does not arise.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1233 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Review of Labour Laws
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Dulal Chandra Goswami

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1233 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2019

## REVIEW OF LABOUR LAWS

## 1233. SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA: SHRI DULAL CHAND GOSWAMI:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether the Government has proposed to standardize and to review the outdated labour laws and replace them with new laws and if so, the details thereof along with the proposed changes;
- (b)whether the Government has consulted all stakeholders including industry sector in the matter, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)the  time  by  when  the  proposed  changes  are  likely  to  be  implemented  and  the
- details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (c): Reforms in labour laws are an on-going process to update the legislative as well as governance system to address the need of the hour so as to make them more effective, flexible and in sync with emerging economic and industrial scenario. Accordingly, in line with the recommendations of the Second National Commission on Labour, the Ministry has taken steps for drafting four Labour Codes i.e. the Code on Wages, the Code on Industrial Relations, the Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions & the Code on Social Security by simplifying, amalgamating and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the existing Central Labour Laws.  Out of these  4  Labour  Codes, the  Code  on  Wages,  2019,  has  been  notified  on  8 th  August, 2019  in  the  Gazette  of  India.   The  Occupational  Safety,  Health  and  Working Conditions  Code,  2019  was  introduced  in  Lok  Sabha  on 23rd July,  2019  and subsequently,  referred  to  the  Parliamentary  Standing  Committee  on  Labour  for examination. The Industrial Relations Code has been approved by the Cabinet & the Social Security Code is at pre-legislative stage.

The  Government  has  consulted  with  stakeholders  including  Central Trade  Unions,  Employers'  Associations  and  State  Governments  in  the  form  of tripartite consultation for the formulation of Labour Codes.

********
Lok Sabha Question No. 1232 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Investment of General Provident Fund
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Manickam Tagore B

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1232 TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY 25TH NOVEMBER, 2019

## 'Investment of General Provident Fund'

No.1232

Shri MANICKAM TAGORE B

Will the MINISTER OF FINANCE be please to state:

- (a) whether the Government has invested certain percentage of General Provident Fund for commercial purposes;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the government has also given permission to any State Governments to invest the hard earned money of workers to invest in companies or in any other sources; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a) No,
- (b) Does not arise
- (c) Sir . No,
- (d) Does not arise

## ANSWER
Lok Sabha Question No. 1230 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Schemes to Make India a Tourist Hub
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Nihal Chand Chauhan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†1230

## LOK SABHA ANSWERED ON 25.11.2019

## SCHEMES TO MAKE INDIA A TOURIST HUB

## †1230. SHRI NIHAL CHAND:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) the  State-wise  details  of  the  various  schemes  being  run  to make India a global tourist hub;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government for the security of foreign tourists visiting India;
- (c) the number of foreign tourists visiting India over the last two years;
- the  number  of  cases  of  misbehaviour  with  foreign  tourists
- (d) reported during the said period; and
- (e)
- the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a): The  major  schemes  of  the  Ministry  of  Tourism  which  are applicable  in  all  States/  Union  Territories  to  make  India  a  global tourist hub are:

- Integrated Development of Theme Based Tourist Circuits
- 1) - Swadesh Darshan
- 2) Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)
- 3) Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development
- 4) Domestic  Promotion  and  Publicity  including  Hospitality (DPPH)
- 5) Restructured Scheme of Overseas Promotion & Publicity Including Market Development Assistance (MDA)

(b): Safety  and  security  of  tourists  is  a  State  subject.  However, Ministry  of  Tourism  has  taken  several  measures  to  ensure  the safety and security of tourists which are:

- i) 24x7  Toll  Free  Multi-Lingual  Tourist  Info-Helpline  in  12 Languages to provide support service in terms of information and guidance to tourists.
2. ii) Some State Governments/Union Territory Administrations have deployed Tourist Police, in one form or the other.
3. iii) Launching of Code of Conduct for adoption by the Indian Travel  and  Tourism  Industry  for  Safe  and  Honourable Tourism with the objective to encourage undertaking of tourism activities with respect to basic rights like dignity,  safety  and  freedom  from  exploitation  of  both tourists  and  local  residents,  in  particular  women  and children.
4. iv) Ministry  of  Tourism  has  issued  the  Guidelines  in  Safety and  Security  of  Tourists  for  State  Governments/Union Territories  to  stress  on  the  importance  of  safety  & security of the tourists.
5. (c): Details of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during 2017 and 2018 are given below:

|   Year | FTAs        |
|--------|-------------|
|   2017 | 1,00,35,803 |
|   2018 | 1,05,57,976 |

(d) and (e): The  'Public  Order'  and  'Police'  are  State  subjects. As such, safety and security of tourists, both domestic and foreign tourists, is the primary responsibility of the State Governments/Union Territories. The complaints requiring registration of cases are forwarded to concerned State Governments/UT Administrations through CPGRAMS portal or through emails, for action.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1228 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Sports under the Skill  India
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1228 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2019

## SPORTS UNDER SKILL INDIA MISSION

## 1228. SHRI B.B. PATIL:

Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any initiative for   development of sports under the Skill India initiative;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government has taken any steps in consonance with the recommendations of the National Skill Development Council for the skill gaps in the sectors and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI R. K. SINGH)

(a)  to  (c)  The  National  Skill  Development  Mission  (NSDM)  was  launched  by  the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 15th July, 2015, to provide a strong institutional framework to implement and scale up skill development efforts across the country.

Under this, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is implementing its flagship  scheme  Pradhan Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas Yojana  (PMKVY) (2016-2020).  Under  PMKVY  (2016-2020),  training  is  provided  in  various  sectors including sports. Qualification Packs that have been developed for the sports sector are Fitness Trainer, Life Guard-Pool & Beach, Sports Masseur and Physical Activity Facilitator. As on 11.11.2019, 11,541 candidates have been trained under PMKVY (2016-20) under sports sector. MSDE through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) formed the Sports, Physical Education, Fitness & Leisure Skills Council (SPEFL-SC) on 3rd July, 2015 for focused attention to the development of sports under the Skill India Initiative. The key objective of the SPEFL-SC is to create a robust and vibrant eco-system for quality education and skill development in the sports sector in the country. The mandate for SPEFL-SC, inter alia, is to carry out functional and occupational mapping and develop a catalogue of industry, develop occupations/  job  roles  in  the  sector,  develop  &  put  in  place  an  assessment  & certification mechanism for the trainers, assessors and trainees etc. NSDC has not conducted any skill gap study in Sports as yet.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1226 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Setting up of the State-of-the-Art Museum in Kerala
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Abdul Majeed Ariff, Kumbakudi Sudhakaran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1226 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th  NOVEMBER, 2019

## 'SETTING UP OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART MUSEUM IN KERALA'

## 1226. ADV. A.M. ARIFF SHRI KUMBAKUDI SUDHAKARAN:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state :

- (a) whether the Government has received any proposal from the Kerala State Government for renovation and setting up of state-of-the-art museum and culturally and archaeologically significant  Napier  Museum at  Thiruvananthapuram and Krishnapuram Palace at Karthikapally in Alappuzha district of Kerala;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the status of the proposal;
- (c) the action taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (d) whether there are any proposals pending before the Government of India regarding the development of Krishnapuram Palace Museum and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR CULTURE & TOURISM

## (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a)  to  (d)  Yes  Sir,  Government  has  received  proposals  from  the  State  Government  of  Kerala seeking  financial  assistance  amounting  to  Rs.  1273.142  lakhs  for  Napier  Museum  and  Rs. 352.676  lakhs  for Krishnapuram  Palace  Museum, under  Museum  Grant  Scheme.  These proposals  were  considered  as  per  the  guidelines  of  scheme.  At  present,  Ministry  has  not approved the above proposals.