New Delhi, Apr 6 (UNI) Amidst blame game by the BJP and the Congress over the second leg of the Budget session being a wash-out, the government on Friday said that the productivity of the Lok Sabha was merely 4 per cent and that of the Rajya Sabha was 8 per cent during 22 sittings from March 5 to April 6.
In comparison, in the first part of the Budget session that commenced on January 29, the productivity during seven sittings of the Lok Sabha was 134 per cent. In the Rajya Sabha, the productivity during eight sittings was 96 per cent in the first-half of the Budget session.
In the second part of the Budget session, five Bills were introduced and passed by the Lok Sabha. These are the Finance Bill,2018, the Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2018, the Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2018, the Payments of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2018, the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
These Money Bills were passed in the Lok Sabha amidst pandemonium, without discussion, under the guillotine procedure.
The five Money Bills passed by the Lok Sabha were deemed to have been passed on April 29 by both Houses of Parliament on expiry of 14 days from the receipt of the Bills in the Rajya Sabha under clause (5) of Article 109 of the Constitution. The Bills will now be sent to the President for approval.
When questioned at a press conference about money bills being deemed as returned by the Upper House without being tabled, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar cited precedents during the Congress/United Progressive Alliance regime in 2004 and 2013.
Only one Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in the second half of the Budget session. This was the Payments of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
The Bill that could not be taken up in the Upper House was the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 on which the Opposition was opposed to a `division' (voting).
Both the Houses observed International Women's Day with the Rajya Sabha holding a full-fledged discussion.
The Upper House also bid farewell to 62 members and 56 new or returning members took oath.
The Budget session had commenced on January 29 with President Ram Nath Kovind addressing the joint session of both the Houses in the Central Hall of Parliament. This was followed by presentation of the Union Budget for 2018-19 by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Discussion on Motion of Thanks on the President's Address and general discussion on the Union Budget were held in the first part of the Budget session.
Both the Houses were adjourned for recess from February 9 till March 4.
On Friday, both the Houses were adjourned sine die.
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