New Delhi: As Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die on Monday, the outgoing chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has said that more than 47 hours were lost due to interruptions in the 257th session of the Upper House, “which is a sad reflection on the functioning of the Parliament.”
Giving his valedictory address, Naidu said that the session was characterized by regular and continuous disruptions, which deprived members of the opportunity to discuss matters of urgent public importance and seek the accountability of the executive through questions. "Out of the 235 Starred Questions admitted, only 61 could be answered orally and Question Hour could not be taken up in 7 days. Only 25 Matters could be raised by Members with the permission of the Chair and only 60 Special Mentions could be made, during the entire Session," he said.
The House discussed the issue of rising prices of essential items in the form of a short duration discussion that lasted for more than 4 hours in which 33 Members participated in the debate. “Only 5 Government Bills were considered and passed during the Session. 27 Private Members’ Bills were also introduced and only 1 Private Member's Bill regarding 'Right to Health' could be partly discussed during the entire Session. No Private Members’ Resolutions could be taken up,” he said.
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A farewell programme was also organized for Naidu who will be leaving office on August 10. Naidu said that these last five years have been the most eventful, enlightening and energizing years of his life. He hailed the central and state governments for resilient actions during the pandemic. While highlighting his interaction with leaders from other countries, Naidu stated that he had witnessed a perceptible change in India’s image in the comity of nations.
Naidu said that the rapport and understanding developed out of this experience helped him to enhance productivity in Rajya Sabha and oversee the passage of many landmark legislations. He said that political parties and their members in the house should act in a manner that befits the stature of the Indian Parliament.
Highlighting India’s celebration of 75 years of independence, Naidu said that India has come a long way in these years but there are still many formidable obstacles to progress that must be identified and removed. “There is a need to ensure equitable access of all the citizens to resources and opportunities to study, work and grow into an enlightened, empowered individual,” said Naidu.
Naidu appealed to the Members to follow 3 Ds – Dignity, decency, and debate; and not resort to the fourth D – Disruption. "Continuous disruption of Parliament is disruption of democracy," he said.
