RS productivity improves in Week 2 of winter session

PRODUCTIVITY IN THE UPPER HOUSE STOOD AT 52.50% IN THE SECOND WEEK, WITH THE HOUSE TRANSACTING BUSINESS FOR 14 HOURS AND 57 MINUTES OF THE SCHEDULED SITTING TIME

NEW DELHI: Even as some opposition parties continued to demand revisiting the suspension of 12 MPs from the Upper House, leading to disruptions and adjournments, productivity in the Rajya Sabha in the second week showed an increase of 5.6% over the previous week of the ongoing winter session.

Productivity in the House stood at 52.50% in the second week, with the House transacting business for 14 hours and 57 minutes of the scheduled sitting time of 28 hours and 30 minutes, an official of RS secretariat said.

“During the first two weeks of the current session, the productivity of Rajya Sabha has risen to 51.10% further to somewhat improved functioning during the second week. Of the total scheduled sitting time of 56 hours for the first two weeks, 28 hours were lost due to disruptions and forced adjournments,” the secretariat said in a statement.

Productivity of the House stood at 49.7% in the first week of the winter session that began on November 29.

Disruptions in the current session have primarily been set off by the opposition’s demand to revisit the decision to suspend 12 MPs for the duration of this session after the House passed a motion accusing them of causing damage to House property, jostling with security staff and marshals, and raising slogans on the last day of the monsoon session in August. The opposition parties also protested when the government did not agree to their demand to allow a discussion during the passage of the bill to repeal the farm laws.

Since the beginning of the session, Rajya Sabha has spent 34.25% of functional time on legislative business, passing a total of five bills, including two in the first week. Bills that were passed in the Upper House include the Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill, 2021; the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020; the Farm Laws repeal Bill; the Dam Safety Bill; and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021. “Nine hours and 48 minutes were spent debating these Bills in which 56 members took part. A total of 21.89% of the functional time has been spent on starred questions,” the secretariat official said, requesting anonymity. The House will take up for consideration and passage the High Court and SC Judges Salary and Condition of Services (Amendment) Bill, 2021.