50% of MPs didn't attend Standing Committee meetings on demands for grants

Almost 50 per cent Members of Parliament did not attend Parliamentary Standing Committee meetings on the Demands for Grants with over two dozen of them not attending a single meeting.

According to sources, 57 per cent of TMC MPs, 36 pc of BJP MPs, 15 pc from Congress and 50 pc from other parties did not attend any meeting of the eight committees of Rajya Sabha on Demands for Grants. These meetings were held between February 12 and March 1, the recess of the two-phase Budget Session of Parliament.

The prominent absentees include Satish Chandra Mishra (BSP), Derek O'Brien (TMC), RCP Singh (JD-U), Rajiv Pratap Rudy (BJP), Sukhbir Singh Badal (SAD), Asaddudin Owaissi (AIMIM), Nakul Nath (Congress) and Mimi Chakraborty (TMC).

Some other members from Rajya Sabha with zero attendance include Majeed Memon of NCP (Personnel, Public Grievances and Law & Justice committee), SR Balasubramoniyan (Home), Sasikala Pushpa Ramaswamy of AIADMK (HRD), Vandana Chavan of NCP (Science & Technology), Sonal Mansingh (Nominated on Tourism & Transport), Anil Baluni of BJP (Science & Technology), M P Veerendra Kumar (Commerce), Roopa Ganguly of BJP (Commerce), Kahkashan Perween of JD-U (Health & Family Welfare), D Srinivas, Jose K.Mani (Industry) and Parimal Nathwani (S&T).

Among the members of Lok Sabha who skipped all meetings on Demands for Grants include Rajiv Pratap Rudy (T&T), Sukhbir Singh Badal (Commerce), Asaduddin Owaissi (S&T), Nakul K Nath (Commerce), Rajiv Singh (Raju Bhaiya-Home), Sumalata Ambareesh (T&T), Mimi Chakraborty (Industry), S Jagadrakshakan (HRD), YS Avinash Reddy (Industry) and Anant Kumar Hegde (S&T).

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, on the first day of the Budget session after a recess on March 2, presented the results of the review of the functioning of eight department-related standing committees that examined the Demands for Grants.

He said he did not mind sharing with media the details of the MPs who did not attend even a single meeting of the respective committees.

Naidu informed the Upper House that a total of 95 MPs, accounting for 39 pc of the total 243 MPs from both the Houses on the eight committees that are with Rajya Sabha, had zero attendance. He appealed to all concerned to improve their attendance.

BJP has 109 MPs on these eight committees while Congress has 33, TMC has 14, SP four, AIADMK three besides 80 from other parties and independents, Rajya Sabha sources said.

None of the four members of Samajwadi Party nominated on these committees had zero attendance while all the three members of AIADMK had zero attendance.

The maximum of 18 among the 31 members of the Committee on Science and Technology did not attend any meeting followed by 17 of the 31 members of the Committee on Commerce.

Turning out the best attendance, only eight of the 29 members of the Committee on Health & Family Welfare did not attend any of the three meetings of the committee, the sources said.

Nine of the 28 members of the Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Law & Justice and 10 each of the 31 members of the Committees on Home, Transport & Tourism and Industry besides 13 of the 31 members of the Committee on Industry did not attend any meeting.

House-wise, 23 members of Rajya Sabha accounting for 30 pc of the total 77 members and 72 members of Lok Sabha accounting for 43 pc of the total 166 members on these eight committees of Rajya Sabha had zero attendance.

Regarding attendance of Rajya Sabha members committee-wise, only one of the eight members of Committee on PPG did not attend any meeting while a maximum of six of the 10 members of the Committee on S & T had zero attendance.

In respect of Lok Sabha members, the maximum of 13 of the 21 members of the Committee on Commerce did not attend any meeting while six of the Committee on Health & Family Welfare had zero attendance.