RS takes up first question only on last day of session
NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha could finally take up its first question on the last day of a tumultuous extended winter session, which saw the Telangana bill being passed amid bedlam on Thursday.
Answering a question on the storage facilities of food grains in the country, minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution K V Thomas said, “Not a single godown of FCI is giving space to anybody to store any product other than foodgrains. If any information is given about storing liquor stringent possible action will be taken.”
Thomas said central warehouses might be providing storage facilities to items other than foodgrains. To make the system transparent, advisory committees have been constituted in every state chaired by the senior most MP, he added. On insufficient storage facilities in FCI godowns, he said, “The capacity available is more than sufficient for storing central food stocks.”
The total requirement of foodgrains for implementing the National Food Security Act (NSFA) is estimated to be 612 lakh tonnes. The available storage capacity is more than required. HITS: MISSES: Lok Sabha 1951 1957 1962 1967 1971 1977 1980 1984 1989 1991 1996 1998 1999 2004 2009 7 7 Bills introduced 12 16 36 15 38 24 30 21 20 47 67 61
71 56 43 37 71 63 70 Bills passed 161 130 196 216 177 Bills lapsed
268 272 270 252 277 252 219248
282 333
286 327 297 289
PLUMMETING? The 1st Lok Sabha in 1952 had 677 sittings over
3,784 hours. The 14th & 15th, over 10 years, only managed to clock an equal number of sittings over 3,066 hours
379 378 329
334 Productivity 115% 108% 109% 91% 110% 61% 482 111%* 87%
On Friday, hours before he drove out of Parliament House as the Prime Minister one last time, Manmohan Singh had told a group of IAS probationers: “These are exciting times to be living in India.”
It may be a pure coincidence that Singh, often accused by opponents of remaining silent, delivered two official speeches on Friday. The first was at his residential office to the civil servants. The second was his last speech in the Lok Sabha.
“In Parliament, there are bound to be differences but there should also be a path of reconciliation,” Singh remarked in the Lower House that had witnessed unprecedented ruckus last week. The PM, who suffered a particularly hostile Opposition, also hoped that the elections will “give birth to a new atmosphere.”
Amid the overall farewell to the 15th Lok Sabha, the low-key presence of a surprise guest—PM’s wife Gursharan Kaur—in Lok Sabha gallery also added to the undercurrent of emotions.
Singh came to the RS in 1991 and remains an MP from Assam. His term will end in June 2018.
“As a very diligent parliamentarian he thoroughly prepared for all speeches and questions. He chose to speak extempore on antiSikh riots and farm loan waiver. Otherwise, he would dictate me detailed points to prepare the draft speech,” the PM’s former media advisor Sanjaya Baru said. Union minister Jairam Ramesh feels Singh “had a quiet dignity as a parliamentarian.”
According to sources, the day started in a usual fashion for Singh who arrived at Parliament from home and attended a morning meeting of the Congress core group. There, Singh pushed for the passage of the whistleblowers bill (the bill was eventually passed).
“He went back home for lunch along with his wife but returned for the Lok Sabha’s concluding session,” an official said.