Parliament takes up discussion on budget, private member resolutions

Parliament met for the 10th sitting of the Budget Session today.

The Lok Sabha undertook a discussion on the General Budget and also passed the Demands for Excess Grants for 2011-2012 today.

In Rajya Sabha, the government agreed for short duration discussion on the unprecedented spurt in violence in Gaza and West Bank area of Palestine to be held on Monday (July 21). However, Opposition MPs asked for the discussion to be initiated immediately, which led to adjournment of the House.

The Finance Minister also presented the budget for the National Capital Territory of Delhi for the year 2014-15.

Both Houses then discussed Private Member Resolutions. At the time of sending this diary, a discussion on creation of a new Union Ministry for the development of Himalayan states was underway in Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha's productivity for the first nine sittings of the budget session stands at 98 per cent. For the same period, Rajya Sabha's productivity stands at 65 per cent.

In the first week (7th to 11th July), Lok Sabha was productive for 62 per cent of the time, while Rajya Sabha was productive for 66 per cent of the time.

In the second week (14th to 17th July), Lok Sabha's productivity was 143 percent. The Lower House sat for 100 per cent of its scheduled time and an extra 43 per cent of what it was originally supposed to sit for. In the second week Rajya Sabha was productive for 63 per cent of the total time.