'45 bills passed in LS same day they were introduced'
Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 17th Lok Sabha passed an unprecedented 222 bills during its term, a study by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed. 45 of these bills were approved on the same day they were presented. The list of these legislations includes the Appropriation Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No.2) Bill, Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 amongst others.
Breakdown of bills passed and pending
The report was put together by ADR and National Election Watch (NEW) and offered a detailed look at the performance of the incumbent Lok Sabha and its members. It said that out of the total 240 bills presented during the term of the 17th Lok Sabha, 11 were withdrawn and six are still awaiting approval. Interestingly, only one bill received the President's approval during this period.
Engagement levels of MPs across states
The ADR report also provides information on how engaged MPs from different states and political parties were. Chhattisgarh's 11 representatives led the pack with an average attendance of 216 out of 273 sittings. Conversely, Arunachal Pradesh had the lowest average attendance, with its two MPs attending only 127 sittings. Maharashtra's 49 MPs were the most curious, posing an average of 315 questions each. Meanwhile, Manipur's representatives asked only an average of 25 questions each.
Questioning patterns of MPs and party-wise participation
Among political parties, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) stood out with its five MPs raising an average of 410 questions each. On the other end were Apna Dal (Sonelal) representatives, who raised only five questions each on average. Members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were among the most regular attendees, with an average attendance of 229 out of 273 sittings. In stark contrast, Aam Aadmi Party members had the lowest attendance, averaging only 57 sittings.
Attendance and activity levels of party members
Furthermore, the report spotlighted ten MPs who were particularly active in parliamentary proceedings, with BJP's Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar leading by asking a total of 596 questions. The majority of the questions revolved around health and family welfare, agriculture and farmers welfare, and railways. Notably, the tenure of 17th Lok Sabha will end on June 16.
