Stating that over a dozen reform Bills have been passed and 1,175 outdated laws have been repealed during last two years, the Government on Friday said the Parliament needs to do more “to push reforms” and maintained that the long pending GST Bill was expected to come in the next session.
Detailing the work done by the Modi Government, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Govern-ment’s persistent outreach to Opposition and other parties is resulting in better functioning of Parliament despite heat generated on some issues.
Speaking to mediapersons on the conclusion of second Budget Session of this year, the Minister said Government has reached out to Opposition and other parties “through sustained coordination, communication and cooperation’’ by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu and the two MoS for Parliamentary Affairs.
Giving an account of the efforts made by the Government towards functioning of Parliament over the last two years, Naqvi said the sittings of both the Houses and Bills passed by the lower House have improved during this period.
He stated that the lok Sabha held 75 sittings and passed 48 Bills per year as against 70 sittings and 45 Bills per year during 2004-14. The Rajya Sabha held 71 sittings and passed over 41 Bills per year as against 67 sittings and 45 Bills per year during 2004-14, said Naqvi. The lok Sabha passed 96 Bills and the Rajya Sabha cleared 83 Bills during the last two years.
The Minister referred to the lok Sabha not witnessing even a single forced adjournment due to interruptions during this Session and disruptions declining in the Rajya Sabha over the last two sessions and thanked Presiding Officers and parties for the same.
Major Bills passed this Session included — The Finance Bill and the Railways Appropriation Bill, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, the Industries (Development and Regulation) Bill and the Anti-Hijacking Bill, passed by both the Houses and the Compensatory Afforestation Bill, passed by the lok Sabha.