Lok Sabha gives nod to bill to rename Kerala, NCDC Bill

On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha approved two Bills – the National Cooperative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill 2026 – by voice vote, despite protests from the Opposition. The session ended soon after the passage of the two Bills. With only one day left in the Monsoon Session, which concludes on Thursday, there was no certainty about whether Union Home Minister Amit Shah would address the House.

However, BJP sources indicated that he is prepared to deliver his statement if required, in response to the Opposition's attempts to disrupt his speech. The Opposition continued its protest, demanding Shah's attendance, leading Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju to mock Congress leader K C Venugopal, who hails from Kerala, after the Kerala Bill's passage.

"The Kerala Bill was passed, but KC Venugopal could not speak on it. I am sad to say this," Rijiju remarked.

Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol made a brief statement amid protests before the passage of the National Cooperative Development Corporation Bill. Mohol explained that under the original 1962 Act, certain organizations remain unregistered, preventing the NCDC from providing funding. He noted that the NCDC disbursed only Rs 45,000 crore over 50 years, while in the last 11 years, it allocated Rs 4 lakh crore.

Mohol emphasized that the Bill was introduced to expand the NCDC's scope, allowing it to offer direct loans and grants against security to any organization engaged in cooperative development. He added that the Bill would make the NCDC more effective in meeting current societal needs without requiring additional funding.