Least productive session in 15 years

New Delhi: The month-long Winter Session ended on Friday with the demon of demonetisation making it the least productive session in the last 15 years, marked by acrimonious exchanges between Treasury and Opposition benches in both Houses on how and when to discuss Modi government’s biggest financial decision.

Both the Houses saw a near total washout with a huge unfinished legislative agenda, including the crucial GST bill.

Due to the repeated disruptions, the Lok Sabha could function only for 17.39 per cent while of Rajya Sabha worked for 20.61 per cent. While Lok Sabha lost 107 hours of scheduled time to disruptions, Rajya Sabha lost 101 hours.

Only four bills could be passed, while 20 others already introduced in Parliament will now be moved to the Budget Session. There were 55 bills pending before the session began.

The legislative business this session, which began on November 16 and was spread over to a period of 31 days and had 21 sittings, has in fact been the lowest so far in the Modi government.

The only significant legislative action was the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disability Bill by both the Houses.

During the session, 10 bills were introduced in Lok Sabha, out of which four were passed. While the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, was deemed to have been passed by both the Houses of Parliament, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2016 has also been passed by the both the Houses in near unanimity. The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was withdrawn in the Lok Sabha.

As a result of repeated disruptions, only two of the 330 listed questions in Rajya Sabha could be answered orally. This has been one of the least productive Question Hour sessions for Rajya Sabha in the last three Parliaments. Previously, one of the 480 questions and none of the 420 questions were answered orally in the Winter Sessions of 2010 and 2013, respectively. The only other legislative action was the approval of the supplementary demands for grants.

While adjourning the two Houses sine die, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari expressed pain and anguish over the repeated disruptions.

Mr Ansari said: “Regular and continuous disruptions characterised the session. The symbolism of dignified protest, so essential for orderly conduct of parliamentary proceedings, was abandoned. All sections of the House need to introspect on the distinction between dissent, disruption and agitation”. “Peace prevailed only when obituaries were read,” quipped the vice-president.

In the Rajya Sabha, the debate on demonetisation took place on the first day of the session but subsequently the Opposition continuously created uproar demanding presence of the Prime Minister during the entire discussion. The debate was again taken up once for an hour when Mr Modi was present but it could not be carried forward.

In the Lok Sabha, the debate could be hardly taken up even though both the government and opposition repeatedly said they were ready for a discussion on demonetisation announced on November 8.