Turbulent Monsoon Session of Parliament ends two days early

A turbulent Monsoon Session of Parliament came to an end on Wednesday, two days ahead of schedule, and amid repeated disruptions that saw a sharp dip in productivity of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressed their “deep anguish” at the repeated disruptions of proceedings by the opposition during the four-week Session over issues ranging from price rise, Pegasus snooping allegations and the demand to roll back farm reforms.

Rajya Sabha witnessed unruly scenes on Tuesday when opposition members climbed on the reporters' table, leading to adjournment and Congress member Partap Singh Bajwa throwing a file containing papers at the empty chair of the presiding officer.

“I am distressed by the way this sacredness (of the House) has been destroyed yesterday (Tuesday),” Naidu said.

The Lok Sabha functioned barely for 21 hours and 14 minutes, while 74 hours and 46 minutes of the total 96 hours slotted for transaction of business. The Rajya Sabha functioned for 28 hours and 21 minutes against the allotted 104 hours.

“The productivity of the Lok Sabha was 22 per cent. I share people's pain that their issues could not be discussed in the House... crores of rupees are spent on functioning of Parliament,” Birla told reporters after the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.

Also read: Rajya Sabha too adjourned sine die, government seeks action against 'unruly' members

While the government pushed its legislative agenda through the opposition disruptions, the Rajya Sabha discussed the Covid-19 situation but could not begin the discussion on farmers' issues.

The Speaker said he would soon convene a meeting of the Rules Committee to explore possibilities of ensuring that the House functions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and floor leaders held a customary meeting with the Speaker, who hoped the next Session would be more productive.

According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the Monsoon Session with 17 sittings was the most disrupted Session of the 17th Lok Sabha 76 hours and 46 minutes lost to interruptions and forced adjournments.

As many as 13 bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha and 20 draft legislations, including the Constitution (127th)Amendment Bill and another to end retrospective tax, were passed.

The Rajya Sabha also witnessed suspension of six Trinamool members for a day for unruly behaviour.