56 OBITUARIES LISTED IN HOUSE, HIGHEST EVER

NEW DELHI: The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on Monday with 56 obituaries of deceased lawmakers listed in the business of both the Houses. This is among the highest number of listed obituaries in any session of Parliament , according to a senior Lok Sabha official. The list comprises names of 40 Lok Sabha members of Parliament [both sitting and former] and 16 Rajya Sabha members.

The monsoon session of Parliament began on Monday with 56 obituaries of deceased lawmakers listed in the business of both the Houses. This is among the highest number of listed obituaries in any session of Parliament , according to a senior Lok Sabha official.

The list comprises names of 40 Lok Sabha members of Parliament [both sitting and former] and 16 Rajya Sabha members, including its sitting members Rajeev Satav and Ragunath Mohapatra.

“The number of obituaries listed are mostly of those who were ex-members and not sitting members of the Parliament. Therefore, it will not be affecting the business of the houses,” Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member, P Chidambaram said.

“People may not have reported the deaths of members due to the (prolonged) Covid (situation) in the country. For example, there are members from 7th Lok Sabha, 8th Lok Sabha who might have passed away. Now, whenever the session is held, the numbers get accumulated,” he said.

In Lok Sabha, the obituaries are mostly of former MPs such as former PM AB Vajpayee’s niece Karuna Shukla. The Upper House adjourned for an hour on Monday as two sitting Rajya Sabha MPs died since the last session.

Covid-19 pandemic has affected Parliament sessions since March last year, forcing curtailed budget and monsoon sessions last year and this year’s budget session. The 2020 winter session was skipped altogether due to the public health crisis.