JOIN US Two days ahead of schedule, the Winter Session of Parliament was wound up today after a virtual washout with business being transacted only in the last two days, including passage of historic Lokpal Bill.
Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were repeatedly adjourned over a host of issues since the Winter Session began on December 5.
While the session was to end on December 20, it was adjourned two days ahead of schedule.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rejected suggestions that government was "escaping" by ending the session early.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said Parliament has been adjourned sine die and not prorogued and it could be reconvened any time.
The session saw a virtual washout on all the days. Lok Sabha could not function even till yesterday and saw legislative work today when it passed the Lokpal Bill.
Rajya Sabha worked for two days - yesterday and today - as it passed the Lokpal Bill and discussed India's position at WTO in Bali.
In the Rajya Sabha yesterday, virtually all parties joined hands to pass the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2013 after a five-hour debate.
The Lok Sabha today passed the Lokpal Bill after a brief discussion amid din over Telangana and other issues.
MPs supporting and opposing creation of a separate state of Telangana disrupted the proceedings virtually every day.
Other issues which dominated the uproar were price rise and death of children in relief camps of Muzaffarnagar in UP.
With the sine die adjournment, three notices for no confidence motion against the government could not be considered.
Amid repeated disruptions, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar could not take up the no-confidence motion moved against the government by 13 anti-Telangana MPs - six Congress members from Seemandhra and the rest from TDP and YSR Congress.
As per rules, 50 members have to support a demand for moving a no-confidence motion to be taken up. Due to continuous din, the Speaker could not carry out the exercise.
Parliament also cleared Rs 18,594.27 crore additional spending in the current fiscal to meet expenditure, mainly towards petroleum and fertiliser subsidies.
The two Houses also gave its nod to government's proposal to spend over Rs 70,759 crore for carrying out works like railway electrification, establishment of workshop to manufacture bogies and several over-bridges in this financial year.