With 22 bills passed, Winter Session 'successful': Ananth Kumar

Terming the Winter Session of Parliament "successsful", Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar on Friday said it saw the two Houses pass 22 bills in a session that had just 13 sittings.

In a press conference after both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die, he said the productivity of Lok Sabha was 91.58 per cent and that of Rajya Sabha was 56.29 per cent.

"There were 13 sittings in this session, of which four were Fridays. In eight working days, the two Houses passed 22 bills," the Minister said, thanking opposition parties for their cooperation.

Asked about two of the important bills of the government - The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 and The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, 2017, Ananth Kumar hoped that both the bills will be passed in the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament that starts on January 29.

"Government is committed to pass important bills like Triple Talaq Bill and National Commission for Backward Classes Bill and cooperation from all parties is expected on such issues of national importance," he said.

While The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill was stuck in Rajya Sabha, the The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, 2017, which proposes constitutional status for the OBC commission, could not be passed in Lok Sabha.

"When a revolutionary bill is introduced, it results in a countrywide debate. The whole country is now debating on the OBC commission and triple talaq," Ananth Kumar said.

"Opposition obstructed the (OBC commission) bill with a meaningless amendment in the Rajya Sabha. We will get it passed in the Budget session," he said.

The government tabled the bill in Lok Sabha with an amendment alternative to the amendment made by the Rajya Sabha.

--IANS

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