14th legislature met for just 44 days in a year

Can important legislations and discussions on issues concerning the State be discussed in just 44 days? The answer may be ‘no’ since the State legislature met, on an average, for 44 days in a year over the last five years, data collated by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) show.

Collected through RTI applications and released by the ADR, data reveal that law makers had limited time to discuss and debate over the Bills piloted by the government on various issues.

“The net result could be Bills passed after limited discussion or no discussion at all,” says Nilesh Ekka, a senior researcher and analyst, who also manages the Election Watch programme.

The ADR has collected data pertaining to legislature activities from the first session that started on July 12, 2013, till the 15th session that ended on November 24, 2017. For the record, legislature met twice briefly in 2018, including the budget session, records of which are not part of the ADR’s data set.

Mr. Nilesh pointed out that in the 50s and 60s, Parliament met, on an average, for 120 days. “Even today, sessions of parliament in United Kingdom meet for nearly 140 to 150 days. There is ample time for healthy discussion.” He added: “If Assembly meets for a longer duration, then the time lost due to disruptions can be made up without compromising on Assembly functioning and debates on important Bills.”

In fact, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had raised this issue on the last day of the last session of the 14th Assembly. He had said the legislature should meet at least for 60 days in a year.

“I am pained that we could not have 60 days annually in the last five years. Only when the quality of sessions increase can parliamentary democracy also grow,” he had remarked.