RS session concludes with 19 hours wasted due to disruptions

The second half of the Budget session, which began on April 25, 2016, was adjourned sine die on Friday, after bidding farewell to 53 retiring members.  

In his valedictory address, Chairman Hamid Ansari said the session was “short and challenging” and that the members had “shown an extraordinary ability to debate and dissent, to accommodate and differ amidst their political compulsions and ideological positions”.

Ansari said 12 Bills were passed or returned, which demonstrated the desirability of careful deliberation through available instrumentalities and the benefits accruing from it. The major legislations approved included the Finance Bill and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill. 

However, the GST Bill, which has been facing stiff resistance from the Opposition Congress, remained pending and was not even listed during the session. 

“Notwithstanding the fact that a good amount of both Legislative and non-legislative work was transacted, the proceedings of the House were occasionally disrupted,” he said.

The Upper House met for 69 hours but over 19 hours were lost due to disruptions over issues such as political crisis in Uttarakhand, allegations of bribery and corruption in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, alleged lynching of Muslims in Jharkhand, anomalies and irregularities pointed out in the CAG report in the KG Basin Gas Project of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, among others.

Issues relating to train carrying empty tankers sent by the government to drought-hit Bundelkhand and the Prime Minister’s comments against Congress leaders in the AgustaWestland deal at an election rally in Tamil Nadu also led to disruptions. 

The House, however, sat late for over 10 hours to complete legislative and other important business. While the Lok Sabha session ended two days ago, the Rajya Sabha stuck to its schedule of Friday.

The session also witnessed the resignation of industrialist Vijay Mallya, who is embroiled in a major controversy related to his debt of over Rs 9,000 crore and has left the country.

The legislations approved also included the Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, the Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, the Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, the Anti Hijacking Bill, the Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, the Finance Bill, the Rajendra Central Agricultural University Bill and the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill.

The Enforcement of Security Interest and recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was referred to the Joint Committee of both the Houses. During the Session, six Private Members’ Bills were introduced in the House. One Private Member’s Bill – The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2015 – was taken up for discussion, which remained inconclusive.

Issues regarding need to strengthen the provisions of IPC and other laws to protect women from sexual exploitation and to make other welfare measures for their empowerment, and to abolish capital punishment in the country, were discussed through Private Members’ Resolutions.

“The House welcomed 13 newly-elected/re-elected members from the States of Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Punjab and Tripura and 6 newly-nominated members and bid farewell to 53 members whose term of office would expire in the months of June and July,” Ansari said.