States and State LegislaturesGovernment of Bihar’s response to COVID-19 (till Apr 19, 2020)Saket Surya- April 19, 2020On March 22, Bihar registered itsfirst two cases of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19),one of whom died the same day.  Since then, the number of cases has increased steadily. As of April 19, Bihar has86 confirmed casesof COVID-19, of which 47 are active cases and 37 have recovered.  33 new cases have been registered since last week. One more death has been registered since March 22.Given the highly contagious nature of the disease, on March 22, the Government of Bihar announceda state-wide lockdowntill March 31.  This was followed bya nation-wide lockdownenforced by the central government between March 25 and April 14, nowextended up to May 3.  During the lockdown, severe restrictions have been placed on the movement of individuals. Establishments have remained closed, except those providing essential goods and services.  Restrictions are likely to berelaxed in less-affected districts post-April 20.In this blog, we look at key measures taken by the state government in response to COVID-19 so far.Early-stage: screening of travellers, awareness on precautionary measuresThe initial responses from the state government were aimed towards: (i) raising awareness about precautionary measures to be taken against the disease, and (ii) screening of international travellers.  In this context, on February 25, theBihar State Health Societyissued advisories for: (i)measures to be taken in schools and colleges, and (ii) reporting ofairline passengers and touristswith symptomatic cases to the district health administration.  On March 11, 104 Call Centre was designated as theCOVID-19 control room, to address public queries related to the disease.Prior to lockdown: limiting mass gatherings, mobilisation of the public health systemLimiting mass gatheringsBetween March 13 and March 18, the state government issued orders to shut down various premises until March 31. These includeAnganwadi centres, educational institutions, and commercial establishments such ascinema halls, parks, andshopping malls. The government staff was directed to come to office on alternate days.Gathering of more than 50 persons at one place was prohibitedincluding any mass family gathering (except marriages).  The transport department was asked torestrict both public and private transport.Healthcare measuresOn March 13, the government issued directions to: (i)ensure availability of 100 extra ventilatorsin the government hospitals, (ii)arrange for testing of COVID-19in AIIMS, Patna and PMCH, Patna hospitals, and (iii)cancel leaves of all employeesof the Health Department, and (iv)strengthen screening of travellersentering through the Bihar-Nepal border.On March 17, the Health Department issuedThe Bihar Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulation 2020underThe Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.  The Act provides for better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases.  These regulations specify the protocol to be followed in both private and government hospitals for screening and treatment of COVID-19 patients. It also empowers the district administration to take containment measures including sealing of specific areas and conducting surveillance for COVID-19 cases. It makes spreading of rumour or unauthenticated information with mala fide intent a punishable offence.Welfare measuresOn March 16, the Chief Minister announced thattreatment costs for COVID-19 for residents of Bihar will be sponsoredfrom the Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund.  Moreover, the state government will provide assistance of four lakh rupees to the family of a person dying due to COVID-19.The governmentissued directionsto provide direct cash transfer in place of the food provided under the Mid-Day Meal scheme in schools, and at Anganwadi centres.Essential goods and servicesOn March 21, the Food and Consumer Protection Departmentdirected the district administration to ensure implementationof the Bihar Essential Article (Display of Prices and Stocks) Order, 1977.  The Order requires sellers of specified items to display stock and price for the public’s reference.  The specified items include food items, edible oilseeds, and petroleum products.  The Department also directed the district administration to send proposals for adding any new items to the list of specified items.During lockdown: strengthening medical response, welfare measuresUpon announcement of the lockdown on March 22,state-level and district-level coordination committeeswere set up.  During the lockdown, the state government’s measures have been aimed towards: (i) strengthening the medical response in the state, (ii) providing relief to various sections of society from issues being faced during the lockdown, and (iii) addressing difficulties with the supply of essential goods and services.Healthcare measuresOn March 25, the Health Department constituted theBihar COVID-19 Emergency Response Teamwhich is responsible for the control and coordination of all health-related response.Protocols for containment and treatment:Directions have been issued to implement several guidelines related to containment and treatment measures.  These include: (i)set upandoperationalizationof isolation centres and quarantine centres, (ii)containment planto address local transmission and community transmission through cluster containment strategy, (iii)surveillance programfor Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI), (iv)handling of wastegenerated during treatment/diagnosis/quarantine, and (v)sanitation of residence and nearby areasof a COVID-19 positive person.Door-to-door screening campaign: On April 14, the Chief Ministerissued directions to start door-to-door screening campaignfor suspected cases in affected districts including Siwan, Begusarai, and Nalanda.  Such screening campaign will also be run in districts in border-areas, and an area within 3 km radius of the residence of COVID-19 positive patients.Increasing manpower:The governmentinvitedmedical professionals including doctors, nurses, and paramedics to volunteer.  It alsodirectedthe district administration to engage retired doctors, nurses, and paramedics from defence services for volunteer work.  Leaves of all employees of the Health Department werecancelleduntil April 30.  The Health Departmentdeputed AYUSH practitionersto assist at isolation and quarantine centres.Dedicated infrastructure for COVID-19:On April 5, certain government hospitals weredesignatedas exclusive hospitals for treatment of COVID-19 patients.  The Health Department alsodirectedcertain big private hospitals in Patna to stop OPD services.Other health-related measures:On March 23, the state government announcedpayment of one-month basic salary as an incentiveto all doctors and health workers.  On April 13, the Health Departmentissued an order prohibiting spittingin public places by tobacco, cigarette, and Pan users.  Further, the state government announced that it willprocure test kitsfrom the private sector.Welfare measuresRelief package:On March 23, the state government announced arelief packagefor people affected due to lockdown.  Key features of the relief package are:ration of one-month to all ration cardholders for free,one-time cash transfer of Rs 1,000 per family to ration cardholders,payment of pensions for three months in advance to all pensioners including pension for old age persons, widows, and physically challenged, andrelease of pending scholarships to all students.Help for migrants:On March 26,Rs 100 crore was allocatedfrom the Chief Minister Relief Fund to provide aid to the migrants from Bihar stuck in other parts of the country due to the lockdown.  On April 2, the state government announced thata one-time cash transfer of Rs 1,000will be provided to the migrants.  On April 13, anadditional Rs 50 crorewas allocated from the Relief Fund for this purpose.  State-wise nodal officers have beenappointedfor coordination of relief efforts for migrants.  The state government is running10 food centres in Delhito help migrants from Bihar.Relief camps:On March 28, the state government decided to startrelief camps along the border(including Nepal border) offering food, shelter, and medical help to persons coming in the state.Community kitchens and relief campshave been started in government school campuses to provide food and shelter.Electricity tariff:On April 8, theState Cabinet approved the proposalsfor: (i) reducing electricity tariff for domestic and agricultural consumers by 10 paise per unit and (ii) waiving the monthly meter fee.Measures for businesses and agricultural activitiesThe state government provided certain relaxations to businesses in matters related to taxation.  These include:extension in the deadline for payment of GSTfrom March 31 to June 30, no interest or penalty charges to be levied for late payment in certain cases,three-month extension in the deadlinefor one-time settlement scheme for pre-GST tax disputes, andcancellation oforders regarding attachment of bank accountsof certain tax defaulters.On April 16, the Chief Ministerissued directionsto start procurement of wheat through the Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS).Essential goods and servicesVarious departments issued guidelines to the district administration to facilitate operational continuity of essential goods and services including (i)food items, (ii)seeds, fertilisers, and other agriculture-related items, (iii)livestock fodder, and (iv)petroleum products.On March 27, the Food and Consumer Protection Departmentbrought certain new items under the purviewof The Bihar Essential Article (Display of Prices and Stocks) Order, 1977.  These include: (i) wheat and wheat products, (ii) masks and hand sanitisers, and (iii) potato and onion.Other MeasuresEducation:On April 8, the cabinetapproved the proposal to promote studentsof Class I to XI (except class X) without annual examination.Legislature:Salaries of MLAs and MLCs have been reducedby 15% for one year.  The amount will be donated to the state’s Corona relief fund.Labour and employment:On April 16, the Chief Ministerissued directions to resume public worksunder the Saat Nischay Programme, Jal Jeevan Hariyali Yojana, and MNREGA.For more information on the spread of COVID-19 and the central and state government response to the pandemic, please seehere.ParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»
States and State LegislaturesGovernment of Bihar’s response to COVID-19 (till Apr 19, 2020)Saket Surya- April 19, 2020