Session 2015 among 'least productive'

After the “most productive” Budget Session, Parliament witnessed one of the least productive sessions in the past 15 years with both Houses losing around 75 per cent of its allocated time for business.

According to PRS Legislative Research, Rajya Sabha witnessed the “second least productive session” in the past 15 years, the worst being Winter Session 2010, with only two per cent of listed questions being answered orally and only one per cent of its productive time spent on legislative business.

The figures from Rajya Sabha Secretariat showed around 82 hours were lost due to disruption while business could be conducted for only nine hours. Lok Sabha Secretariat said the Lower House lost 47 hours while it managed to conduct business for around 34 hours. The issues that agitated the Upper House MPs included alleged involvement of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the Lalitgate issue, Vyapam scam, non-implementation of special status for Andhra Pradesh, the suspension of Congress MPs in Lok Sabha, Naga Peace Accord and appointment of Bihar governor without consulting the state government, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.

The decline in productivity is in “sharp contrast to Budget Session 2015, which was the most productive session in the last 15 years,” the PRS report said. During Budget Session, Rajya Sabha had a productivity of 101 per cent.  This time, both the Houses did not function in the first two weeks of the Monsoon Session. However, Lok Sabha began functioning midway through the session and reached a productivity level of 48 per cent by the end of the session. While only two per cent of questions were answered orally in Rajya Sabha, 13 per cent were answered in Lok Sabha. Previously, Question Hour has been a washout in Rajya Sabha during Winter Sessions 2010 and 2013.

Only one per cent of its productive time was spent on legislative business in Rajya Sabha. “The Rajya Sabha did not pass any bill in this session. The time taken to introduce six private member bills accounts for its time on legislative business. In comparison, Lok Sabha spent 17 per cent of its productive time on legislative business, and 45 per cent on non-legislative business,” the PRS report said.