New Delhi: Although the current session of the Lok Sabha has completed half of its tenure but it has only utilised 72 per cent of the allotted time so far. The ongoing winter session of Parliament has not conducted any business till date although it has been assembling every day since it was convened on November 22.
According to a report by the PRS Legislative Research, Delhi-based NGO which has access to all Parliament records, taking into account the loss of six working hours every day in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha due to the continuous disruption and daily adjournment of the two Houses, the rough calculation of the loss turns out to be a whopping Rs 25 crore to the exchequer.
The report suggests that there has been a steady decline in the number of hours the Lok Sabha met in the past two decades. The PRS figures reveal a declining interest of the MPs in conduct of regular business, for which they are elected and paid for.
PRS press release states that “A look at the number of hours the Lok Sabha has been meeting over the last 25 years indicates a steady decline in productive time. Further, at its current pace, the 15th Lok Sabha may be the most disrupted one in the 25-year-period.”
During the last winter session, the Opposition’s demand for an investigation by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the 2G spectrum allocation scam was rejected by the government. As a result, the entire session was a washout, the report said.
The 2010 winter session was a complete waste as neither side relented and no work was possible and no Bills were passed.
The total loss during the 2010 winter session of Parliament was close to Rs 230 crore and it was the worst session in 25 years in terms of business conducted as the the Lok Sabha worked for only seven hours and 37 minutes, the report stated.
The current Lok Sabha has wasted a record number of hours in just two-and-a-half years, surpassing total disturbances during the full five-year term of the previous Houses.
The Member of Parliament Local Area Development Division is entrusted with the responsibility of implementation of Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). Under the scheme, each MP has the choice to suggest to the District Collector for, works to the tune of Rs.2 Crores per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency.
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