Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned; early end for Winter Session
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die (indefinitely) on Wednesday a day ahead of schedule. Announcing the conclusion of the Winter Session, Rajya Sabha Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu said the House functioned "much below its potential" this session. In the Lok Sabha, over 18 hours and 48 minutes were wasted during the Winter Session, House Chairperson Om Birla said.
Why does it matter?
The Winter Session of Parliament witnessed multiple disruptions due to the Opposition's protest over multiple issues. The session had started on November 29 and was scheduled to end on December 23. It had 18 sittings and witnessed the clearance of key legislations, including controversial electoral reforms and a bill to repeal the farm laws that had triggered massive protests.
All need to introspect what went wrong: Naidu
While adjourning the Rajya Sabha sine die, Naidu said the House could have functioned better. "All need to introspect what went wrong...what has happened is wrong, and we should all work towards constructive, positive atmosphere for the larger interest of the country," he said. "Rules, regulations, procedures, and precedents must be taken into account," he added.
Lok Sabha functioned 82% of its productivity: Om Birla
In his concluding remark, Lok Sabha Chairman Om Birla said 12 bills were introduced in the House this session and nine were passed. The House also discussed Omicron, climate change, and other important issues, he said. Birla highlighted that the House witnessed a record productivity of 204% on December 2. Overall, the productivity of the House was 82%, he added.
A turbulent Parliament session
The Winter Session witnessed heavy protests and disruptions near daily. The Opposition had been staging protests on the matters of inflation, electoral reforms linking Aadhaar cards to voter IDs, and the Lakhimpur Kheri violence as they sought the sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra. Protests were also held against the suspension of the 12 MPs during the last Monsoon Session.
Key bills passed this session
The key bills passed in both Houses include The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, The Appropriation (No. 5) Bill, 2021, The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021, The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021, The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021, Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021.
