Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in her valedictory address on the conclusion of the eighth session of the lower house on Wednesday said she was happy that the house was not adjourned even once due to interruptions during the entire session.
"I am happy to inform you that in the recent past this is the first session in which the house was not adjourned even for a single minute due to interruptions. I thank the entire house for cooperation extended to the chair," Mahajan said.
The Speaker lauded the fact that the house sat late for 14 hours and 32 minutes to transact urgent government business. The recently concluded session saw 13 sittings spread over 92 hours and 21 minutes.
She said that the house passed 10 bills during the session which commenced on April 25.
A separate budget session was necessitated as both the lower and upper house were prorogued during the seventh session.
During the session, the house discussed the Finance Bill, 2016. The discussion lasted for seven hours before it was passed to give effect to the financial proposals of the central government for the financial year 2016-17.
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The Demands for Grants (Railways) for 2016-17 was also discussed, which lasted for four hours and 44 minutes. The related Appropriation Bill was subsequently passed.
The Demands for Grants for 2016-2017, in respect of the Ministries of Development of North Eastern Region; Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Social Justice and Empowerment; Civil Aviation; Tourism, and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, were discussed for 22 hours before being voted in full.
Uttarakhand's budget for the year 2016-17 was discussed May 9 and the relevant Appropriation Bill was passed to replace the Ordinance.
During the current Session, four government bills were introduced.
In all, 10 Bills were passed.
Some of the important Bills passed are the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016; the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015; the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016; and the Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016.
During the session, 260 starred questions were listed, out of which 76 Questions were answered orally. Written replies to the remaining Starred Questions alongwith 2,990 Unstarred questions were laid on the Table.
As many as 347 matters of urgent public importance were raised by the members after the Question Hour and after completion of formal business of the house by sitting late in the evenings. The members also raised 236 matters under rule 377.
The issue of alleged irregularities in AgustaWestland helicopter deal was raised by way of Calling Attention.
The house also held one short duration discussion under rule 193 regarding drought and drinking water crisis in many states and need to consider inter-linking of rivers and water resource management.
--IANS
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