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Speaker Birla shares figures to say how Lok Sabha lost several hours in monsoon session ‘due to planned disruptions’
The month-long session that started on July 21 had 21 sittings with 37 hours of effective business.
The Lok Sabha lost 83 potential work hours in the monsoon session due to forced adjournments, according to its secretariat. This meant the month-long session that started on July 21 could have 21 sittings with only 37 hours of effective business.
Both Houses were adjourned sine dine on Thursday.
Explaining the arithmatic, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that all parties had decided at the beginning of the session that discussions would last 120 hours. “The Business Advisory Committee also agreed to this; but due to continuous deadlock and planned disruptions, the House could barely work for 37 hours in this session,” Om Birla said.
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He shared more figures. Of the 419 starred questions listed on the agenda of the session, only 55 questions could be taken up for oral answers due to “planned disruptions”.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh also expressed his displeasure over the functioning of the House and said that only 38.88 per cent work could be accomplished in the Upper House in this session, according to a Times of India report.
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"It is unfortunate that despite efforts to conduct the proceedings of Rajya Sabha smoothly, disruptions have occurred. In the session, only 38.88% of the work, equivalent to just over 41 hours, could be accomplished," Harivansh said.
"Members had the opportunity to ask 285 questions, but only 14 questions could be raised; 14 bills were passed or returned to the Lok Sabha," he added.
Fruitful for country, harmful for Oppn: Kiren Rijiju
Earlier in the day, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters that the session was successful and fruitful for the country and the government, but unsuccessful and harmful for the Opposition.
"The government has to discharge its duties to people in the national interest," he said, according to PTI. The opposition cannot prevent the government from working with its protests, he added.
A united opposition protesting against and demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Review of electoral rolls in Bihar forced repeated adjournments in Parliament throughout the session.
