Lok Sabha passes 21 bills in 17 sittings of monsoon session

Lok Sabha, which was adjourned sine die on Friday, passed 21 Bills in its 17 sittings during the monsoon session.

The government introduced 22 bills in the House as members sat over 20 hours beyond the scheduled time to make up for over eight hours lost in disruptions.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who adjourned the House sine die at the conclusion of monsoon session, expressed her happiness.

"I have several times laid stress on smooth conduct of the House which is essential to maintain the credibility of Parliament," she said.

The house had 17 sittings which lasted 112 hours.

It took up the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government on July 20 in which 51 members took part.

Mahajan said the government introduced 22 Bills and 21 were passed.

The significant legislation was on granting constitutional status to National Commission of Backward Classes. Another measure involved restoring the immediate arrest provision in the SC/ST Act.

Yet another Bill paved the way to enable the overseas electors to appoint proxies to cast their votes in the elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The other important bills passed by the House include the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill and Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill.

The House also discussed the supplementary demands for grants (general) and demands for excess grants (general) for 2015-16 and the approved the relevant appropriation bills.

Seventy-five starred questions were replied in the House and replies of 285 others laid on the table of the House . Answers were also placed of 4,140 unstarred questions.

Members raised 534 issues of public importance and 326 matters were raised under Rule 377, under which an issue which is not a point of order is raised and requires a written notice by the member.

The House took up a short duration discussion on the situation in different parts of the country due to rains and drought.

"The House lost 8 hours and 26 minutes due to disruptions, but the members sat for 20 hours and 43 minutes beyond the scheduled time," Mahajan said.

She said the session was more productive and satisfactory compared to the past two other productive sessions -- the second part of Budget session 2017 and the last monsoon session.

The Speaker extended her good wishes for the Independence Day.

The monsoon session had commenced on July 18.

--IANS

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