Parliament adjourned sine die

Both houses of parliament were adjourned sine die on Friday, drawing the curtains on the budget session which saw the second-half being washed out amid protests, and the Lok Sabha unable to take up no-confidence motions moved by several opposition parties.

While the first-half of the session -- January 31 to February 9 -- recorded 134 per cent productivity in the Lok Sabha and 96 per cent in the Rajya Sabha, in the second-half, from March 5 to April 6, the lower house recorded just four per cent productivity and the upper house eight per cent.

The Lok Sabha saw no-confidence notices being submitted by former government ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and a number of opposition parties, including YSR Congress, Congress, Trinamool Congress, Left parties and others.

However, the house could not take up the notices for 10 consecutive working days as protests over various issues continued.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she could not ascertain the numbers of members supporting the motion amid the din. But opposition MPs called it an excuse by the government and alleged the treasury benches did not want a debate.

Before adjourning the Lok Sabha sine die, the Speaker announced there were disruptions for 127 hours and 45 minutes and that the House worked for extra nine hours and 47 minutes.

She also said that although there were disruptions in the House, the successful conduct of National Legislators' Conference on March 10-11 got support from all parties.

In his valedictory remarks, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu rued that he had little to say in terms of what the Rajya Sabha did but a lot about what it did not.

"While it is customary for the Chairman on this day to give a brief account of what has been done and delivered by the House, today I am compelled to reflect on what could not be done during such an important session.

"You were to discuss the important general Budget for this financial year and consider and return to the other House, the Appropriation bill and the Finance Bill. It was not done," Naidu said.

The Lok Sabha passed five bills, which included the Finance Bill, two appropriation bills, Payments of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The bill on gratuity was also passed by the Rajya Sabha.

The Finance Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha without any debate, was deemed returned by the Rajya Sabha on April 28 -- 14 days after the Lok Sabha passed it on April 14.

--IANS

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