Monsoon session: RS productivity falls further to 16% in 2nd week, House yet to pass a bill

The productivity of Rajya Sabha fell to 16.49 per cent during the second week of Monsoon session from 26.90 per cent during the first, with the House witnessing repeated interruptions, adjournments, and also suspension of 23 Opposition members. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has expressed disappointment saying “obstruction is destruction of parliamentary democracy”. The cumulative productivity of the House for the first two weeks of this session has been a low of 21.58 per cent, according to officials.

During the 10 sittings so far, the Rajya Sabha functioned for 11 hours 8 minutes out of the scheduled 51 hours 35 minutes, losing 40 hours 45 minutes due to disruptions and forced disruptions, the RS Secretariat said. No Bill could be passed with discussion on the Weapons of Mass Destruction Bill still to be concluded; No Zero Hour submissions could be made; No Special Mentions on eight days and no Question Hour on six days during the first two weeks, they added.

Referring to the disruptions in the House, Chairman Naidu has said, effective functioning of parliament is a collective responsibility of the government and the Opposition. “The world is looking at India which is on the move. Political differences should not be allowed to affect the functioning of the House,” he said while inaugurating a two-day Orientation programme for the newly elected members of Rajya Sabha on Saturday. Naidu stressed that a sense of mutual respect and accommodation would ensure discipline that enhances the dignity of the House. “Disruptions only hurt the interests of the parliamentarians”. Noting that members rushing into the Well of the House and showing placards is not graceful to parliamentary democracy, Naidu said there were two opinions on showing the same to the people through live telecast – One being that such scenes may not be telecast while the other being that the people may see for themselves the reality in the legislatures to make their own assessment.

The Chairman said he was in view of not showing unruly scenes. Both Houses of Parliament have witnessed unruly scenes during this Monsoon session with Opposition members trying to corner the government over multiple issues including price rise, Goods and Service Tax, the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme and the alleged misuse of Central agencies. Over two dozens Opposition MPs were suspended from both the Houses for their alleged “misbehaviour”.

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