The Monsoon Session of Parliament has emerged as the most productive session in recent times as it passed a number of key legislations including the “game changer” Food Security Bill besides the land Acquisition, Companies and long pending Pension Fund Regulatory Authority Bills.
The overall productivity of the month-long session — that was extended for a week — was 69 per cent with the Rajya Sabha emerging a clear winner with 80 per cent productivity. The Upper House passed 18 legislations and 17 Bills were introduced. lok Sabha's productivity was 58 per cent. It sat for more than 73 hours, lost 53 hours due to disruptions and passed 15 Bills.
The Rajya Sabha, which was adjourned sine die on Saturday, sat for more than 98 hours during its 21 sittings but lost 44 hours due to disruptions on issues like division of Andhra Pradesh, agitation for separate Bodoland, communal violence in Kishtwar, Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son in law Robert Vadra's alleged land deals, solar scam in Kerala and missing files of Coalgate.
On issues like Chinese incursions and killing of five Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops on the line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, killing of a social activist in Maharashtra, 84 Kosi Yatra organised by VHP, Government's move to fill up two vacancies in JPC on 2G spectrum and deletion of remarks of leader of Opposition in the House Arun Jaitley made during the statement made by the Prime Minister also vociferous protests and disruptions were witnessed in the House.
The session also saw day-long suspension of two TDP members three times for continuously disrupting the House by protesting against creation of Telangana state. For the first time BJP and TDP members' name was published in Parliamentary Bulletin for coming into the Well of House in violation of rules leading to uproar among the Opposition benches.
Disruptions took a toll on Question Hour which could not be taken up on eight days due to pandemonium. However, the House made up for the loss of time by skipping lunch recess and sitting late for 30 hours to complete the legislative business.
“There were spells of calm and fury,” Chairman Hamid Ansari said while summing up the proceedings of the session. Apart from legislative work, other business transacted in the session included 83 matters of public importance, 169 special mentions, 3 short duration discussions and a calling attention, he said.
While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a statement on the current economic situation during the session, 12 suo motu statements by Ministers on issues like Telangana, ambush near loC in Poonch by Pakistan Army and Mumbai gang-rape case of a photo journalist. References were made to the victims flash flood in Uttarakhand and fire onboard Indian Navy Submarine INS Sindhurakshak.