LS sessions post independence were 60% more efficient

Yesterday, the first day of the Monsoon session of the Parliament was packed with more drama than debate. The Assam debate was sidelined to an LK Advani verses Sonia Gandhi face off. The incident was also a reflection on how bad things are in parliament.

According PRS, a legislative research firm, if one compares the number of bills passed by the first five Lok Sabha sessions after independence with the number of bills passes by the recent five Lok Sabha sessions, the tally is 1630 versus 939. That is a decline of over 40%.

When Karan Thapar asked Rajya Sabha MP and CPI(M) leader D Raja, the reason for the decline, he said, “The first five years you are referring, that was the time when The Indian state emerged as a welfare state. Now in recent times the Indian state has transformed itself into a neo liberal state.”

“Government today has its priorities misplaced,” he added.

For the low number of legislation passed, Congress blames the Opposition, the Opposition complains Congress doesn’t consult it and the Left feels the wrong sort of legislation gets brought in.

Three different reasons pointing towards one conclusion - legislation isn’t happening and it’s unlikely to happen in the present Monsoon session.