RS productivity 89 pc in first half of winter session

Despite protests on several issues by opposition members in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament has reported 89 per cent productivity in the first half of the ongoing winter session. Of the total available time of more than 55 hours, the House availed more than 49 hours, the Rajya Sabha secretariat said in a statement on Saturday.

While a little more than 8 hours were lost on account of disruptions, members made up for the lost time by sitting for two and a half hours extra resulting in a net total loss of 5 hours and 51 minutes during the first half of this session, it said. Three Bills including the Jalianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill were passed during the first half of the winter session.

During the second week of the winter session, Rajya Sabha passed two Bills, The Transgender (Protection of Rights) Bill and The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill. Discussion on the Bill seeking to replace the Ordinance banning e-cigarettes remained inconclusive, the secretariat said. "At the end of the first half of the ongoing winter session, Rajya Sabha has reported productivity of 89 per cent for the first two weeks combined," it said.

The upper house is likely to take up next week the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Merger Bill and the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies Bill. All these bills have been passed by the Lok Sabha. Members of Rajya Sabha also made a record 51 zero hour submissions and 30 special mentions on various issues of public importance.

All the admitted Zero Hour and Special Mentions were made on the last working day of the week with the members complimenting Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for the same. During the second week of the ongoing winter session, the Rajya Sabha recorded productivity of 84 per cent.

During the second week, members of the upper house availed a total of 22 hours and 15 minutes transacting business of different kinds, the RS secretariat said. Of the scheduled available time of 26 hours and 29 minutes, it said 5 hours and 45 minutes were lost on the first working day of the second week to disruptions in the House due to the political developments in Maharashtra. The members however, made up 1.31 hours by sitting beyond the scheduled time.

During the week, all listed 15 starred questions were orally answered twice, setting up a new record. Of the total 60 starred questions listed for four working days, a total of 43 accounting for 71.66 per cent of the total were orally answered. The Question Hour on the first day of the second week could not be taken up as the House had to be adjourned by the Chairman with the opposition insisting on a discussion on the Maharashtra Governor's actions even as Chairman Naidu gave a detailed ruling on Rules and earlier rulings of the Chair not permitting the same.

The Question Hour was not scheduled on the second day of the week on account of a Joint Sitting of Members of both Houses to commemorate the 70th anniversary of adoption of the Constitution of India. The House also discussed the economic situation in the country for four and a half hours, though, as per Rules only two and a half hour discussion is allowed under the instrument of Short Duration Discussion.

Keeping in view the importance of the issue and request of opposition leaders for more time, Chairman Naidu allowed more time. In a meeting of leaders, Naidu complimented the spirited discussion and the reply by the Finance Minister even as he urged the opposition not to disturb any Minister during the reply.

The House also took up the Pegasus spyware issue under Calling Attention Notice.

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