Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday lauded the functioning of the Parliament during the last one year stating that both the Houses of Parliament have turned in record performance in terms of number of sittings and transaction of legislative business.
“The Government is going to complete one year in office soon. I am happy to report that during the last one year, there has been a perceptible improvement in the functioning of the Parliament marking a beginning towards restoration of people`s respect for and confidence in democratic institutions. This is a significant achievement for all the concerned,” Naidu said while briefing the media on the last day of the Budget session of the Parliament.
He further said that this turnaround was made possible by the sincere efforts of the Government to reach out to the opposition and other parties from time to time on various issues and accommodating their concerns even by going out of way on several occasions and by the force of the legislative proposals of the Government.
Giving statistics of record performance of the Parliament, Naidu stated that since May, 2014, the Lok Sabha held 90 sittings while the Rajya Sabha had 87, the highest in the last ten years. Both the Houses have passed 47 Bills, the best in the last six years, he said.
Naidu informed that the Government is keen about a minimum of 100 sittings of Parliament each year as recommended by the last Conference of Chief Whips and Floor Leaders of Legislatures held in October, 2014, with the cooperation of all concerned.
Referring to the performance of the Parliament during the just concluded Budget session, the Union Minister said that both the Houses have passed 24 Bills, the best of the Budget sessions of the last six years. The Lok Sabha worked for 117 percent of the scheduled time while the productivity of Rajya Sabha was 101 percent. The Lok Sabha had 35 sittings during this Budget session, the highest in the last five years while the Rajya Sabha held 32 sittings, the second best in the last five years, he informed. he Minister informed that during this Budget session, Lok Sabha has lost six hours and 54 minutes due to interruptions but made up for the lost time by giving up lunch hours and working beyond the scheduled time for 42 hours and 41 minutes. The Rajya Sabha lost 18 hours and 28 minutes but gained 20 hours.
The Minister noted that both the Houses of Parliament could have made even better use of available time during the just concluded Budget session if the opposition had not insisted on disturbing the scheduled business of the Houses almost every day.
Naidu informed that the opposition had given notices seeking suspension of Question Hour on 20 days and for adjournment of business of the House on 32 days and in effect, disturbed the proceedings on 32 of the 35 working days of the Lok Sabha.
In the case of Rajya Sabha, the opposition sought adjournment of business on 15 of 32 working days. This showed lack of seriousness about the issues to be brought to the notice of the Houses and the Government and violation of sanctity of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Houses.
Naidu noted that the just concluded Budget session witnessed the Parliament rising to the occasion by passing some historic legislations. He referred to passing of GST related Constitution Amendment Bill by the Lok Sabha and passing by both the Houses of The Constitution Amendment relating to operationalization of Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill and The Black Money Bill, Enactments relating to transparent allocation of coal and other minerals in this regard.
The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs refuted the criticism that the Government has sought to push legislations at the cost of procedures. He asserted that the Government was obliged to make necessary laws to rise to the expectations of the people who have elected the Government and procedures should not be quoted to delay such legislations. He said that the Government has however agreed to the demands for referring several legislative proposals to committees for detailed examination.
Naidu noted that Department Related Standing Committees were primarily meant for detailed scrutiny of demands for Grants of various ministries and it needs to be considered if every Bill is required to be referred to them. The Minister observed that “Procedures are meant for enabling required scrutiny and certainly not to delay legislation.”
Stating that the functioning of the Parliament over the last one year has been a matter of satisfaction for all the stakeholders of democracy, Naidu assured that “the Government will never be found wanting in doing the needful for accommodating and addressing the concerns of opposition and other parties as and when required to further enhance the standing of the Parliament among the people, who are the patrons of democracy.”
The Minister said that the Government is committed to remove the cobwebs coming in the way of much needed economic recovery by enabling necessary flow of domestic and foreign investments and would pursue required legislations.
“The need of the hour is for both the ruling and opposition parties to collectively rise to the occasion in making the Parliament an effective instrument of fulfilling the aspirations of the people. I am confident that as we go along, a new equilibrium based on shared concern for national goals will be reached,” he said.
The Minister thanked all the parties and their leaders in both the Houses of Parliament for their cooperation during the last one year.