NEW DELHI: Even as the three-month long Budget session concluded on Wednesday, the government claimed that Parliament had the most productive business than the previous years. During the last year, since the new government took over, Parliament was in session for 90 days, the highest in last 10 years; while the current Budget session passed 25 Bills, the highest during a session in the last five years.
While, the government patted itself on its back for its “record performance,” the united Opposition forced it refer two key Bills - GST Bill and the Land Bill - for larger scrutiny of the parliamentary panels, thus delaying them till the Monsoon session in July-August.
Another key take away from the session which kept the government on tenterhooks was the return of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi after a 56-day sabbatical. Rahul who had a lacklusture run in Parliament during the last 10 years, finally packed punches as he hit out at the government with his some barbs like “suit boot ki sarkar” which has come to stick.
As the session came to an end, a visibly-relieved Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu told reporters, “The turnaround was made possible by the sincere efforts of the government to reach out to the Opposition and other parties from time to time on various issues and accommodating their concerns even by going out of way on several occasions,” Venkaiah added.
The belligerent Opposition did make things difficult for government as it often accused it of bulldozing its way through. At times, Opposition members at times poked at treasury Benches as many a times they were not present leading to even quorum not being completed.
The minister hit out at the Opposition for disrupting the Houses. “The Opposition had given notices seeking suspension of Question Hour on 20 days and for adjournment of business of the House on 32 days and in effect, disturbed the proceedings on 32 of the 35 working days of the Lok Sabha. In the case of the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition sought adjournment of business on 15 of 32 working days. This showed lack of seriousness about the issues to be brought to the notice of the Houses,” the minister stated. Reacting to a question that even land bill despite being referred to the joint committee can get stuck in the Rajya Sabha, finally forcing the government to call for joint sitting, Naidu dismissed the idea.