Vice President Hamid Ansari today voiced concern over the reduced duration of Parliament sessions and slammed frequent disruptions of proceedings, saying it was akin to holding the House to "ransom" for an interest of a group or an individual.
Disruptions like coming into well mean losing precious time and also amount to "impinging on the privileges of the other members", Ansari said addressing an orientation programme for newly-elected and nominated Rajya Sabha members.
"This is my personal opinion and I have shared it with successive Prime Ministers (that) the duration of Parliament sitting over the years has contracted.
"Earlier, Parliament used to sit for 100-110 days. There was sufficient time, both for discussion and debate and all other activities. Now the average is 70 days plus or minus. There is a much greater requirement for time management," said Ansari, who is also Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Noting that disagreement can be conveyed by staging brief walkouts, the Vice President said disruptions and coming into well to protest by members were creating a bad impression among people.
He said making the disagreement known can be done in a parliamentary manner.
"If you yourself move out of the circle of what is parliamentary or unparliamentary then anybody in general public is free to do the same. Coming into well is holding the House to ransom for an interest of an individual or a group.
"It means an individual or a group of members are impinging upon the privileges of other members of the House. Besides, it creates a bad impression in the public and the impression is that MPs don't work and make only noises. I don't think it is in our interest. How fair is that?" he said.
Emphasising that "brevity" and "time management" during Zero and Question Hour was crucial, Ansari said members start their speech with an 'alaap'.
"In music 'alaap' (forming a prologue to the formal expression before a song) is a great thing, but in terms of Parliament it is nothing sort of disaster. The member has to ask his or her question. If the member decides to make a speech before the question (then) the time for answering the question is abridged," he said.
Ansari said the three minutes alloted to members during
Zero Hour is sufficient for MPs to raise their issues and added, in Parliaments of many countries, the Question Hour is very rapid.
Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha P J Kurien said proceedings of last couple of years show that the MPs have "failed" to make the government accountable.
Observing that it was the duty of the Parliamentarians to to present the grievances of the public and make the government accountable, Kurien said "MPs are failing in doing so".
"We should make the government accountable for what they are doing, and for what they are not doing. That is the duty of the Parliamentarians.
"But if you go through the proceedings of the House for the last couple of years, you will find that may be in both ways, we have failed, especially in terms of making the government accountable," the deputy Chairman said.
He said Question Hour is the time when the members are supposed to grill the government, but many a times it gets washed away.
Kurien said there were many issues which members want to raise during Zero Hour, if those are raised then the government has to answer.
"Question Hour is the time when you really hold the government accountable. Ministers will be on their toes. The minister will come prepared. If you can question the minister, you can grill him.
"But many a times we lose the Question Hour. When we look back, in those areas where Parliament functions, we have perhaps failed. We ourself fail us and that is the unfortunate part of it," Kurien said.
