The Budget session of Parliament concluded on Thursday, a day ahead of schedule, with both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha registering impressive productivity numbers and fewer disruptions.
The Rajya Sabha proceedings, however, had to be adjourned sine die without the customary valedictory remarks by Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu, as Opposition members, led by the Shiv Sena, trooped into the well of the House.
This was the second last session for Mr. Naidu to chair the proceedings of the House before his term ends in August.
Held in two parts, the Budget session began on January 31 with the address of President Ram Nath Kovind to a joint sitting of both the Houses, followed by the presentation of the Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. On February 11, Parliament went into a recess to examine the Budget papers and was reconvened on March 14.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi claimed that the Budget session was adjourned a day before schedule at the request of the Opposition. He also countered the Opposition’s charge that the government ran away from discussing price rise. The issue had been discussed while debating the Appropriation and Finance Bills.
Customary tea meet
Post sine die adjournment, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla organised a customary tea meet for the floor leaders. It was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, senior Opposition leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Farooq Abdullah (National Conference), T.R. Baalu (DMK) among others.
Though Congress president Sonia Gandhi called on Mr. Birla while the Prime Minister was there, she didn’t stay back for the meet.
In one of the most productive sessions, the Lok Sabha passed 13 Bills, including the Finance Bill, Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill.
The Rajya Sabha passed 11 Bills, including six appropriation Bills and Finance Bills that were returned.
“The total productivity of the eighth session of the 17th Lok Sabha was 129 per cent,” Mr. Birla said. He noted that the House had 27 sittings.
RS records impressive functioning
The Rajya Sabha too recorded impressive functioning, clocking 99.8 percent productivity, just 10 more minutes short of the allotted tie to make up for 100 per cent. Though the House had lost nearly nine-and-a-half hours due to disruptions, it made up for the lost time by sitting extra hours.
On the last day of the Budget session, the proceedings were disrupted after the Shiv Sena and other Opposition parties created a ruckus over price rise and the alleged misappropriation of funds collected to save INS Vikrant.
Soon after the laying of official papers, Sena MPs, including Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, were up on their feet, trying to raise the issue of an FIR registered against the BJP’s Kirit Somaiya for allegedly siphoning donations collected for saving INS Vikrant, the now decommissioned aircraft carrier.
Congress MPs supported the Shiv Sena, with some remarking that the issue of spiralling prices of essential commodities, including those of petrol, diesel and cooking gas, wasn’t allowed to be raised in the entire session, but at least “this scam” should be discussed.
The Chair then called TMC’s Derek O’Brien to raise his Zero Hour mentions. As his Zero Hour mention was interrupted by loud protests from Shiv Sena members, Mr. Naidu said, “I will not allow. You can’t force me.”
Amid the din, BJP’s Sushil Kumar Modi was called to make his Zero Hour submission. He demanded the formation of a special investigation team under a retired Supreme Court judge to reopen the probe into atrocities and crimes against Kashmiri Pandits.
With Oppostion members unrelenting in their demand for a discussion on INS Vikrant , Mr Naidu said their behaviour was against “the democratic spirit, norms, dignity and decorum of House”.
After the customary playing of Vande Mataram, the proceedings were adjourned sine die.
