Pegasus spyware issue likely to be taken up in Rajya Sabha next week

New Delhi: The Pegasus spyware issue and the state of economy are likely to come up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha next week.

The two issues are likely to come up based on the discussions that Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had with leaders of various parties.

Legislative business proposed by the government for next week in the House includes consideration and passing of the Chit Funds(Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 and the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which have been already passed by the Lok Sabha.

During the first week of the session, Rajya Sabha has reported productivity of 90.50 per cent. The Upper House of the Parliament availed 25 hours 54 minutes of the available time while 2 hours 43 minutes were lost due to forced adjournments.

It discussed the issue of pollution for three hours under calling attention notice. It is the longest such discussion in the last 43 sessions and took place after 13 years.

The House discussed had discussed progress of relief to 1984 riot victims for over four hours in 2006 under calling attention notice.

The House passed Jalianwala Bagh Memorial National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

A total of 27 starred questions were orally answered and 33 zero hour submissions and 22 special mentions were made on issues of urgent public importance during the first week.

Question Hour could not be taken up on the first day as the House was adjourned after obituary remarks to late Arun Jaitely and other members who passed away and on the second day due to forced adjournment.

The discussion on the Transgender (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 will resume next week.

The house referred the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 a select committee.
The members made 83 suggestions for better functioning of the House during the special debate on the 'Role of Rajya Sabha in Indian Polity and Way Forward' to mark its 250th sitting.

The Rajya Sabha secretariat has compiled the suggestions made by the Chairman, Prime Minister and 28 members of the House during the special debate.

One-third of members suggested changing the composition of Rajya Sabha to reflect the federal nature of the polity either by ensuring equal representation in the House for all the states as in the case of the US Senate or providing for representation for union territories that are not represented in the House now.

Members also insisted on ensuring a minimum time of 5 to 10 minutes for each member so that views are effectively put on issues under consideration.

Seven members have called for increasing the sittings of the House with some suggesting a minimum of 100 sittings every year as against the present 60-70 sittings per year. Some also suggested debating the functioning of governors and the judiciary.

The members of Rajya Sabha also discussed the inclusion of 'swacchta' in the Fundamental Duties on a private member Bill moved by Prabhat Jha.
The winter session of Parliament started on November 18 and will go on till December 13.