With continuous disruptions in the conduct of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has made a significant change by deciding to list in the bulletin for “public domain” the matter proposed to be raised by the Parliamentarians either in Zero Hour or Special Mentions.
This has been done to send a message across that matters of public interest could not be taken up due to the disruptions. Earlier only the Business List was made public and transmitted to members as well for public domain.
The first Bulletin with complete details of Zero Hour and Special Mentions was transmitted to members on Wednesday and Thursday and will be continued as of now for the entire Monsoon Session.
The Rajya Sabha Bulletin — which so far was the sole propriety of the Chairman — tabled during the conduct of the proceedings, will be made available to members and thereafter to the public.
Sources said all these matters were admitted by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to be raised on both the days but could not be taken up due to disruptions in the House.
On Thursday, 16 Zero Hour matters and 18 Special Mentions concerning immediate Government attention were to be raised by members from across the parties, including the protesting Opposition members, but could not be raised due to disruptions and adjournments.
Parliament sources said the decision to publish the bulletin and make it public was taken after a high-level meeting early this week.
It had the approval of Naidu who has been continuously expressing his anguish over a large number of members being denied opportunities everyday due to persistent disruptions and consequent adjournments.
According to the sources, from now on, details of all listed business that could not be taken up due to disruptions, will be mentioned in the Bulletin.
“Issues sought to be raised by members will also be mentioned in the Bulletin. This is to make the members aware of the opportunities lost due to disruptions besides keeping a record of what could not be transacted that was otherwise scheduled to be transacted. The Bulletin is to be drafted in a way to give a brief account of what has been transacted during the day but in the prevailing situation, it has been decided to give an account of what couldn’t be transacted due to disruptions,” said a senior RS Secretariat official.
As per an estimate by the RS Secretariat, on an average 90 members, each day of the House has been denied opportunities to raise issues of public importance in the House.
The Chairman has observed that (in the four sittings held last week) in Zero Hour, as many as 57 matters of 63 members were permitted. However, none could be raised due to disruption of proceedings. These matters covered wide-ranging issues like shortage of Covid-19 vaccines; need for time-bound completion of Covid-19 vaccination; unemployment due to the continuing pandemic; problems of students in availing online education; hike in process of petroleum products and the resultant increase in prices of essential commodities; alleged attacks on the freedom of press; the situation in Lakshadweep; attacks on and killing of Indian in South Africa; sharing of Cauvery river water between States etc.
The Special Mention issues sought to be raised included abolition of posts in Indian Railways; functioning of the National Medical Commission; racial slurs against the people of North Eastern States etc.
The Monsoon session started on July 19 and is scheduled to end on August 13.