By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Winter Session of Parliament, which was adjourned sine die on Friday six days ahead of schedule, is the eighth consecutive session to be cut short, data compiled by a legislative think tank showed.
The session began on December 7 and was scheduled to end on December 29.
However, members requested the government and the presiding officers of both the Houses — Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha — to end the proceedings early citing the festive season and New Year celebrations.
Since the 2020 Budget Session, all Parliament sessions have ended before their decided date, the data compiled by PRS Legislative Research showed.
In 2020, the budget and monsoon sessions were both cut short due to a surge in Covid cases.
The Budget Session was cut short by 11 days, while the Monsoon Session adjourned eight days ahead of schedule, data stated.
The Winter Session was not held that year due to the pandemic.
Last year, the Budget Session has adjourned 14 days ahead of schedule, according to the think-tank’s data.
Several members in both Houses had demanded that the session — originally scheduled to have sittings till April 8 that year — be curtailed so that they could participate in the election process in certain states and union territories, the government had said in a statement.
The Monsoon Session has adjourned two days ahead of schedule and the Winter Session a day before its planned end, the data showed.
This year, the Budget Session was adjourned a day before schedule, and the Monsoon Session four days ahead of schedule, it stated.
In this Winter Session, Lok Sabha spent around 11 per cent of its time in Question Hours, a total of 7.7 hours, while Rajya Sabha spent 9.8 hours, around 15 per cent, of its scheduled time on questions, according to the data.
Legislative business took around 16 hours or 24 per cent of Lok Sabha’s time, financial business took around 10.9 hours or 16 per cent of the total time, while non-legislative business such as debates and matters of urgent public importance took around 48 per cent of the Lower House’s time.
In Rajya Sabha, legislation took around 21 hours or 32 per cent of the total time, financial business was held for around nine hours and non-legislative and other business took around 38 per cent of the Upper House’s time, it stated.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said there was consensus among floor leaders of all parties to cut short the Winter session of Parliament.
“In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of Lok Sabha, there was consensus among floor leaders of all political parties to cut short the session,” he told reporters here.
Birla’s remarks assume significance as they come against the backdrop of several opposition leaders alleging that the government has been curtailing Parliament sessions.
In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the productivity of the House was 102 per cent. The House held 13 sittings totalling 64 hours 50 minutes. The productivity of Lok Sabha in the Winter session was 97 per cent.
The House held 13 sittings during which seven bills, including the supplementary demands for grants and the Maritime Anti-Piracy Bill were passed.
NEW DELHI: The Winter Session of Parliament, which was adjourned sine die on Friday six days ahead of schedule, is the eighth consecutive session to be cut short, data compiled by a legislative think tank showed.
The session began on December 7 and was scheduled to end on December 29.
However, members requested the government and the presiding officers of both the Houses — Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha — to end the proceedings early citing the festive season and New Year celebrations.
Since the 2020 Budget Session, all Parliament sessions have ended before their decided date, the data compiled by PRS Legislative Research showed.
In 2020, the budget and monsoon sessions were both cut short due to a surge in Covid cases.
The Budget Session was cut short by 11 days, while the Monsoon Session adjourned eight days ahead of schedule, data stated.
The Winter Session was not held that year due to the pandemic.
Last year, the Budget Session has adjourned 14 days ahead of schedule, according to the think-tank’s data.
Several members in both Houses had demanded that the session — originally scheduled to have sittings till April 8 that year — be curtailed so that they could participate in the election process in certain states and union territories, the government had said in a statement.
The Monsoon Session has adjourned two days ahead of schedule and the Winter Session a day before its planned end, the data showed.
This year, the Budget Session was adjourned a day before schedule, and the Monsoon Session four days ahead of schedule, it stated.
In this Winter Session, Lok Sabha spent around 11 per cent of its time in Question Hours, a total of 7.7 hours, while Rajya Sabha spent 9.8 hours, around 15 per cent, of its scheduled time on questions, according to the data.
Legislative business took around 16 hours or 24 per cent of Lok Sabha’s time, financial business took around 10.9 hours or 16 per cent of the total time, while non-legislative business such as debates and matters of urgent public importance took around 48 per cent of the Lower House’s time.
In Rajya Sabha, legislation took around 21 hours or 32 per cent of the total time, financial business was held for around nine hours and non-legislative and other business took around 38 per cent of the Upper House’s time, it stated.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said there was consensus among floor leaders of all parties to cut short the Winter session of Parliament.
“In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of Lok Sabha, there was consensus among floor leaders of all political parties to cut short the session,” he told reporters here.
Birla’s remarks assume significance as they come against the backdrop of several opposition leaders alleging that the government has been curtailing Parliament sessions.
In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the productivity of the House was 102 per cent. The House held 13 sittings totalling 64 hours 50 minutes. The productivity of Lok Sabha in the Winter session was 97 per cent.
The House held 13 sittings during which seven bills, including the supplementary demands for grants and the Maritime Anti-Piracy Bill were passed.
