New Delhi: 

The Rajya Sabha’s monsoon session productivity fell, thanks to disruptions, from 32.2 per cent in the first week to 13.7 per cent in the second. Its overall figure for this period stood at 21.6 per cent, according to the House Secretariat’s records.

For the first time, the Secretariat is issuing daily Bulletins, recording the business of the House that could not be taken up. In the first two weeks, 130 Zero Hour submissions and 87 Special Mentions failed to be taken up, though they were admitted by the Chairman. It is through these that members raise issues of public importance.

Of the 50 total working hours available, 39.52 were lost to disruptions. The House, however, sat for 1.12 hours beyond the scheduled time, but for which the productivity would have been even lower.

During the nine sittings of the Rajya Sabha these first two weeks, it could have only 1.38 hours of Question Hour. This segment is primarily meant to ensure accountability of the executive to Parliament.

It spent 1.24 hours on legislative business, passing four Bills with seven members intervening. The Bills passed were The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021; The Juvenile Justice Amendment Bill, 2021; The Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and The Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

The Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, were among those introduced.

“Chairman Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, during the all-party meeting ahead of the Session and the Business Advisory Committee meeting during the first week, has urged the Government and the leaders of various parties to discuss the legislative and other business to be taken up in the House,” a statement from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said today.

Further, only a minute out of the 50 working hours went towards Zero Hour while four were spent on Special Mentions, records show.

Covid-related issues were discussed for 4.37 hours in the first week. The Minister for IT also made a statement on the Pegasus spyware issue in this period.