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Rajya Sabha members concerned over reduced sittings, disruptions
New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Members of the Rajya Sabha on Friday expressed concern over reduced Parliament sittings annually, with some seeking an effective system to prevent and arrest the decline in parliamentary productivity due to disruptions.
Concerns were raised during a discussion on a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) member Naresh Gujral.
The Parliament (Enhancement of Productivity) Bill, 2017, sought to evolve a system by means of an appropriate legal framework to fix the minimum number of days in a year for Parliament sessions.
Initiating the debate, Gujral said that over the years Parliament met for hardly 60-70 days in a year.
“When the Rajya Sabha started meeting in 1952, it would be for 100 to 113 days, and so on. But over time, successive governments made sure that the duration of sessions got reduced. As a result, bills pile up, action is not taken and public is inconvenienced,” he said.
The SAD member said that apart from the fact that the house is not meeting enough the way it should be, it also sees disruptions.
“If Parliament proceedings are disrupted, then automatically the number of hours that are lost in disruptions should get added to the session. Once that happens, then automatically whichever government is in power, they will be held accountable,” he said and demanded that the government make it official so that Parliament meets at least four to five months in a year.
Gujral said that he never got more than nine minutes to speak on any subject, adding that small parties suffered, as did the back benchers.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh supported the bill and expressed concern over the reduced parliamentary sittings.
“There have been years in which Parliament met for 125 days. Those were the good old days of the 1950s. Then, progressively, it started coming down, and over the last decade, the average is less than 70 days,” he said.
He said that both Houses should meet for a minimum of 100 days in a year.
“It was expected that in the Council of States, you will have knowledgeable people who can look beyond party lines and discuss national issues,” he said.
He suggested that even if the Lok Sabha is not able to meet for 100 days, the Rajya Sabha should meet for this duration.
Agreeing with Gujral’s stand, Ramesh said that time lost due to disruptions must be compensated.
“If we lose two hours in protests and agitation, we must make it up either the same day or the next day… or during the session,” he said while seeking an assurance from the government that this will actually be introduced as a government bill.
V. Vijayasai Reddy of the YSR Congress said that the bill is very essential and requires to be passed in the interest of parliamentary democracy.
“I sincerely feel, irrespective of whether opposition or the treasury benches disrupted the House, time lost due to disruptions should be compensated,” Reddy said.
He said either the number of days of a session be proportionately increased or members responsible for disruptions should not be paid salary and other allowances.
The bill was supported among others by the Rashtriya Janata Dal, DMK, Janata Dal-United and the Aam Aadmi Party.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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