Members of the Lok Sabha would have to brace for long hours in the House in the upcoming Budget Session as Speaker Om Birla is likely to stretch daily proceedings well into the evening.
In his first session as the Speaker last year, Birla earned a reputation as a taskmaster when he led the House into ultra-long proceedings.
The House sat for more than 280 hours and cleared 36 bills, setting a new benchmark for high performance in the Lok Sabha that had regularly suffered disruptions and adjournments.
“This time too, I want to give maximum chance for MPs to speak on different issues like the budget, demand for grants and the discussion on the presidential address. The House may run well beyond the scheduled hours to accommodate speeches,” said Birla.
He had, incidentally, discussed how to improve the quality and depth of budget discussions here with other presiding officers.
Long debates are nothing new in parliamentary history. But Birla increased its frequency in the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha and almost made it a daily affair.
Many experts believe it was a good move especially because the Indian Parliament doesn’t meet for even 100 days in a year.
{{/usCountry}}Many experts believe it was a good move especially because the Indian Parliament doesn’t meet for even 100 days in a year.
{{/usCountry}}The result was also encouraging.
Out of the 265 first-time MPs, 229 were allowed to speak during the Zero Hour, including 42 of the 46 women MPs—the highest for any inaugural session.
Birla believes that all MPs are keen to participate in the debates and speak on various topics. He also believes that giving MPs a chance to speak also helps in reducing the chances of disruptions in Parliament.
“Everyone is happy when he or she is allowed to speak. After all, the MPs are also the leaders of their respective constituencies. It also helps them to build the image and the voters are also happy that his representative is raising issues of the people,” the Speaker said.
While many MPs liked the proceedings that regularly ran till late evening, some party leaders met Birla last year to request him not to stretch the days.
The Budget Session of Parliament will begin on January 31 and is likely to end on April 3 with a recess in between.