New Delhi, Dec 13 (UNI) Describing the historic 250th session of the Rajya Sabha as being a ‘landmark session’, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said that a 100 per cent productivity in two consecutive sessions shows that the Rajya Sabha ship was finally being steadied.
‘’ Effectiveness of parliamentary democracy is critically dependent on efficient functioning of legislatures. There is a certain public disapproval of the dys-functionality that has come to mark the legislatures across the country. I am very pleased that this House of Elders has demonstrated it’s resolve to send out a positive message by turning out 100 per cent productivity during the last and this session. I tend to strongly believe that this new normal will stay for all the times to come.
While the last session recorded productivity of 104 per cent by availing more than the available time for transacting the business, this session too has clocked 100% productivity. This is perhaps, for the first time that this House has recorded 100 per cent productivity for two successive sessions. For me, this is a certain proof of this ship being steadied and all of you deserve credit for it,’’the Chairman said in his valedictory address on Friday.
The Chairman said that as against the total scheduled available time of 108 hours 33 minutes during this session with 20 sittings, the House functioned for 107 hours 11 minutes resulting in a productivity of 99 per cent.
‘’A total of 11 hours 47 minutes, accounting for about 11 per cent of the available time of the House has been lost due to interruptions. Spurred by the sense of duty, the members, however, sat for 10 hours 52 minutes beyond the scheduled hours, resulting in productivity of close to 100 per cent during this session,’’Naidu said.
Naidu said that 15 Bills have been passed during this session, including some landmark Bills like the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, which is the first of it’s kind for the benefit of transgender persons.
‘’I was a little surprised to see the media not taking note of this Bill being the first in times when the voice of the transgender persons is increasingly finding echo in different parts of the world,’’he said.
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