PTI: Productivity of the Rajya Sabha increased to 24.2 percent due to the passage of eight bills in the house during the third week of the Monsoon Session, according to data by the upper house’s research department. The numbers come days after disruptions by the opposition parties caused a loss of 18 hours out of possible 107 hours, leading to an overall loss to the taxpayers of more than Rs 133 crores.
The recent numbers have gone up from last week when the productivity was 13.70 percent. In the first week, the Upper House of Parliament registered high productivity of 32.20 percent, according to the data with the Rajya Sabha research department. The overall productivity of the House for the first three weeks of the Monsoon Session has been 22.60 percent, a Rajya Sabha official said.
The Upper House has witnessed repeated disruptions in the last three weeks since the session started on July 19. Opposition members have been creating an uproar in the House demanding a discussion on the Pegasus snooping row and on the farmer’s issue, among other matters.
In the past week, 68 members from 17 parties discussed the bills before their passage. The parties whose members took part in the discussions include AIADMK, Aam Aadmi Party, BJD, BJP, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), DMK, JD(U), NCP, RJD, RPI, Shiv Sena, TDP, TMC (Moopanar), TRS and YSRCP. These 17 parties along with nominated members of the Rajya Sabha account for 87 percent of the present strength of the House. The TMC and the SAD that is insisting on a discussion on the Pegasus controversy and farmers’ issues account for less than 6 percent of the strength of the House, officials pointed out.
The House spent 3 hours 25 minutes on the passage of these bills. Of the total time of 28 hours and 30 minutes during this week, one hour and 41 minutes were spent on the Question Hour during which 17 starred questions were taken up. A total of 21 hours and 36 minutes were lost due to disruptions in the House during the week, they said.