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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | This Lok Sabha could be the least productive in history -Bharti Jain

This Lok Sabha could be the least productive in history -Bharti Jain

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published Published on Apr 29, 2013   modified Modified on Apr 29, 2013
-The Times of India


The present Lok Sabha could well end up with the dubious distinction of being the least productive in terms of business transacted among those that completed their full five-year terms.

According to statistics compiled by the Lok Sabha secretariat, 1,157 hours of sittings had taken place until the 12th session of the 15th Lok Sabha, which was elected in May 2009.

Among the Houses that completed five-year terms, the 14th Lok Sabha has the worst record so far as it clocked just 1,737 hours of sittings. But even that could be beyond the present Lok Sabha, which will have to manage almost 600 hours of sittings in less than a year if it is to overtake its immediate predecessor.

Some Houses, like the 9th, 11th and 12th Lok Sabhas, did manage far fewer than 1,737 hours. But none of them completed their full terms. While the 9th Lok Sabha clocked 754 hours, it also had a life of barely two years (1989-91). Similarly, the 11th Lok Sabha clocked 814 hours in 1996-1997 and the 12th 575 hours in 1998-1999. Interestingly, the 6th Lok Sabha managed 1,753 hours of sittings even though it lasted just two years (1977-1979).

The current Lok Sabha's failure to transact any business since the resumption of the budget session on April 22 deepens a worrying trend that has seen an acrimonious House losing over half an hour to disruptions and adjournments for every hour of business transacted by it.

According to data maintained by the Lok Sabha secretariat, as many as 634 hours were lost on account of interruptions and adjournments until the 12th session of the 15th Lok Sabha, totalling more than 50% of 1,157 hours of sittings of the House.

The lament that our MPs are not the most diligent of public representatives seems borne out by their record in the current Lok Sabha with the treasury benches and the opposition clashing over scams like 2G, Commonwealth Games and Coalgate and regional parties also being major disrupters.

Contentious issues like Telangana and regional one-upmanship have spilt onto the floor of Lok Sabha. The situation has been aggravated by the government's floor management being average for most of this Lok Sabha's tenure while an aggressive opposition has not been inclined to cooperate either.

Sources in the parliamentary affairs ministry said nearly 41 hours were lost in the first half of the ongoing budget session due to adjournments following disruptions over Coalgate, Nirbhaya gang-rape and alleged atrocities against Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The opposition's post-recess protests over the leaked draft report of the JPC on 2G and alleged government interference in CBI's inquiry into the coal scam ensured a shutdown over the last four working days.

A rough calculation puts hours lost so far this session at nearly 65, and indications are that this figure may only rise in the days to come give the new low in government-opposition ties over the 2G draft report and the fresh controversy over Coalgate.

As demands for grants for four ministries of agriculture, coal, textiles and new and renewable energy face the guillotine at 6 pm on April 30, the current session - the 13th for the 15th Lok Sabha - could end up as the budget session that recorded maximum time lost.

While the budget session of 2011 recorded maximum disruptions, resulting in loss of nearly 70 hours, the 2012 budget session saw 48 hours being lost to adjournments, while the figure for 2010 was just 25 hours.

Although nearly 634 hours were lost over the last 12 sessions compared to sittings spread over 1,157 hours, the Lok Sabha did make up for lost time by sitting through lunch recess and extended hours totalling nearly 253 hours.

Of the 12 sessions completed by the 15th Lok Sabha until December 2012, the most productive in terms of hours of sittings was the 10th session - the budget session of 2012 - clocking 187 hours 36 minutes of work.

The least productive session was the winter session of 2010 - the sixth session of the current Lok Sabha - when disruptions over the opposition's demand for constitution of a JPC on the 2G scam saw the people's representatives working for just 7 hours 35 minutes as against more than 124 hours lost due to disruptions.


The Times of India, 29 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/This-Lok-Sabha-could-be-the-least-productive-in-history/articleshow/19774185.cms


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