Rajya Sabha approves changed time for question hour

The Rajya Sabha Wednesday gave its nod to a proposal to shift the question hour from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, a change made with an aim to ensure that it does not fall prey to protests that start as soon as the house meets.

The motion was moved by Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien and passed through voice vote to approve the 13th report of the Committee on Rules for change in timings of the businesses conducted in the upper house.

The house also approved shifting the time for calling attention motions to 2 p.m. from 5 p.m.

Samajwadi Party leaders Naresh Agarwal and Ram Gopal Yadav opposed the move, saying the experiment will not succeed.

Ram Gopal Yadav, who is a member of the General Purpose Committee (GPC), said he was the lone member of the committee who opposed the changes at the GPC.

Kurien, however, said the timing was changed as many members want to raise issues of public importance first and demanded suspension of question hour.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has been concerned over wastage of question hour because of disruptions and the GPC of the house headed by him took the decision to swap the question hour and the zero hour timings.

The report was presented to the Rajya Sabha Nov 25.