The Monsoon session of Parliament, which ended on Friday, was the “most productive” for Lok Sabha since 2000, a think tank has said.
According to the data compiled by PRS Legislative Research, 20 bills were introduced during the session and 12 were passed.
The Lok Sabha, it said, worked for 110 per cent of the scheduled hours and the Rajya Sabha for 66 per cent.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha spent 50 per cent and 48 per cent of their time on legislative business respectively, the data said.
This, the PRS Legislative Research data said, is the highest by both Houses in the 16th Lok Sabha and second highest since 2004.
Fewer bills (26 per cent) were referred to parliamentary committees, as compared to the 15th Lok Sabha (71 per cent) and the 14th Lok Sabha (60 per cent).
This Monsoon session also had one of the most productive Question Hours of the 16th Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha functioned for 84 per cent and 68 per cent of their scheduled Question Hour time respectively, the data said.
The highest number of 999 Private Member Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha since 2000, the think tank said.
In the 16th Lok Sabha, the highest number of government Bills were introduced by the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In the 15th Lok Sabha, the highest number of Bills were introduced by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law and Justice.
Speaker expresses happiness
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who adjourned the House sine die at the conclusion of monsoon session, expressed her happiness.
“I have several times laid stress on smooth conduct of the House which is essential to maintain the credibility of Parliament,” she said.
Ms. Mahajan said the government introduced 22 Bills and 21 were passed.
The significant legislation was on granting constitutional status to National Commission of Backward Classes. Another measure involved restoring the immediate arrest provision in the SC/ST Act.
Yet another Bill paved the way to enable the overseas electors to appoint proxies to cast their votes in the elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Important bills passed in LS
The other important bills passed by the House include the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill and Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill.
The House also discussed the supplementary demands for grants (general) and demands for excess grants (general) for 2015-16 and the approved the relevant appropriation bills.
Seventy-five starred questions were replied in the House and replies of 285 others laid on the table of the House. Answers were also placed of 4,140 unstarred questions.
Members raised 534 issues of public importance and 326 matters were raised under Rule 377, under which an issue which is not a point of order is raised and requires a written notice by the member.
The House took up a short duration discussion on the situation in different parts of the country due to rains and drought.
“The House lost 8 hours and 26 minutes due to disruptions, but the members sat for 20 hours and 43 minutes beyond the scheduled time,” Ms. Mahajan said.
She said the session was more productive and satisfactory compared to the past two other productive sessions — the second part of Budget session 2017 and the last monsoon session.
The Speaker extended her good wishes for the Independence Day.