Rajya Sabha clocks 96% productivity in first phase of Budget Session; 155 MPs made speeches in Upper House of Parliament

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha recorded 96 percent productivity during the first phase of the Budget session with 155 members speaking during the nine days of sitting from 31 January to 11 February. According to data provided by Rajya Sabha secretariat, during the nine scheduled sittings of Rajya Sabha, the House functioned for a total of 38 hours 30 minutes as against the scheduled available time of 41 hours and 10 minutes. While the House lost 5 hours 32 minutes on 3 February due to disruptions and forced adjournments, the members sat for three hours and 56 minutes beyond the scheduled time, resulting in a net loss of one hour and 36 minutes of the scheduled time, officials said. [caption id=“attachment_7021831” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Parliament. Reuters[/caption] During the second phase of the Budget session from 2 March to 3 April, the government is seeking to get many legislations passed and time has been allotted for them. Among the issues proposed to be taken up during the second phase of the session include consideration and passing of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019, to replace an ordinance along with the statutory resolution seeking disapproval of the ordinance; Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to replace an ordinance along with the statutory resolution seeking disapproval of the ordinance. Besides, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019; National Commission for Homeopathy Bill, 2019; The Aircraft Amendment Bill, 2020, after it is passed by Lok Sabha; Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020 after it is passed by Lok Sabha and the motion for modification of notification regarding the Right to Information Rules, 2019, laid on the table of Rajya Sabha in November last year. Not much business could be taken up as per convention on the first two days of the session as the Upper House was adjourned after the president’s address during the joint sitting of both the Houses and after laying of budget papers on the second day, no business could be transacted on the third day on account of disruptions. “During the six effective sittings of Rajya Sabha, 155 members accounting for 69 pc of the effective strength of the House spoke during various instruments like ‘Zero Hour’, ‘Special Mentions’, discussion on the ‘Motion of Thanks’ to the president’s address, debate on the General Budget for 2020-21 and on the Private Member’s Bill,” they said. A total of 323 interventions, including Zero Hour and special mentions made by 155 members, were made during the six functional days which comes to 54 per day, the officials said. Of the 155 members, 83 have got two or more opportunities to participate in the proceedings of the House A total of 13 members of Rajya Sabha, who are ministers and the deputy chairman, do not either raise questions or participate in the proceedings of the House which makes the effective strength of the Upper House as 226. V Vijaysai Reddy of the YSRCP had the best participation with nine opportunities, including a Zero Hour mention, special mention, five supplementaries, one starred question, four supplementaries to starred questions, besides participation in the debates on the Motion of Thanks to the president and the Union Budget. PL Punia, Husain Dalwai, MK Jha, Amar Patnaik, Ravi Prakash Verma, Ashok Bajpai, Amar Shankar Sable got five opportunities each. A total of 75 Zero Hour submissions were made during four days at the rate of about 19 per day and 38 special mentions on six days at the rate of over six per day, the officials said. Thirty-four starred questions were taken up on five days at the rate of seven per day and 45 members spoke on the Motion of Thanks to the president, while 55 participated in the discussion on the budget.