Prez laments declining time spent in lawmaking

Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee today expressed concern over the declining amount of time spent in lawmaking, saying Parliament should adequately scrutinise and debate laws before they are enacted.
"It is unfortunate that the parliamentary time devoted to legislation has been declining," he said at a farewell function in Parliament attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, besides others.
Mukherjee said with the heightened complexity of administration, legislation must be preceded by scrutiny and adequate discussion.
"Scrutiny in committees is no substitute to open discussion on the floor of the House. When the Parliament fails to discharge its lawmaking role or enacts laws without discussion, I feel it breaches the trust reposed in it by the people of this great country," he said.

The outgoing president, who will demit office on Tuesday, said not a single part of the country of 3.3 million square kilometres of landmass and islands is unrepresented in the Parliament.
"543 persons from the 543 territorial constituencies of this country representing the people in Lok Sabha and 245 persons elected by 29 states and 7 union territories make laws, scrutinise orders of the executive and enforce accountability to protect the interests of the people. Each of these 788 voices is important," he said.