Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The Lok Sabha lost over 23 hours due to interruptions during the month-long budget session, Speaker Meira Kumar said Friday and exhorted members in her soft but firm voice to ensure that proceedings were not disrupted for any reason.
Delivering her valedictory address to the first budget session of the 15th Lok Sabha, India’s first woman speaker said: “This house is the supreme representative body of the people which should properly reflect their aspirations.”

Speaking with aplomb, she said: “Debate and discussion alone are proper methods to focus the attention of the government and the nation on the problems of the people.

“If the business of the house is disrupted, it is the people we represent, who suffer. I firmly believe that we have no right to do that.”

Meira Kumar has drawn praise from one and all for stewarding the house proceedings with dignity and confidence - as though she has been into this job for long. She made good use of her soft voice to calm tempers, but simultaneously her firmness had a salutary effect on them.

She said: “I would take this opportunity to appeal to the hon’ble members to spare no efforts to see that the business of the house is not disrupted for any reason. Equal opportunities are available for orderly discussion on issues concerning the people.”

She said the house lost over 23 hours 34 minutes because of disruptions, but added that there were brighter moments too.

“I am happy to inform that the house also sat late for 30 hours and 52 minutes to transact important financial and other business for which I thank the members,” she said.

Giving details of the proceedings, she said the members discussed the Railway Budget for 17 hours and 57 minutes, while the combined debate on the General Budget and demands for grants of various ministries lasted for 17 hours and 12 minutes.

As many as 197 members - approximately every second member in the 543-member house - participated in the discussion on the Railway Budget.

In all, the house had 26 sittings spread over 162 hours during the session that started July 2.

The speaker said 16 bills were introduced and eight were passed in this session.

These included some “important bills” like the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2009, and the Constitution (One Hundred and Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2009.

The education bill gives all children in the age group of six to 14 the right to free and compulsory education, while the constitution amendment legislation extends by 10 more years reservation to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (Sts) in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Seventy-nine seats have been reserved for SCs and 42 for STs in the Lok Sabha and out of a total 3,961 assembly seats, 543 are reserved for SCs and 527 for STs.