CHAPTER – IV
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN PARLIAMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF PARLIAMENTARY TIME
4.1 In a Parliamentary
democracy, a major portion of work before the Parliament relates to Government
Business. Planning of Government Business, therefore, assumes great
significance. It becomes the responsibility of the Government to see that the
time for this purpose is wisely and effectively utilised. The Rules of
Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha provide
that on days allotted for transaction of Government Business, that Business
shall have precedence and that Business shall be arranged in such order as the
Presiding Officers of the two Houses may determine in consultation with the
Leader of the respective Houses. The function of planning and co-ordination of
Government Business has been entrusted to the Ministry of Parliamentary
Affairs. In the discharge of this function, the Ministry works under the
directions of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
4.2 Almost the entire time
when the Parliament is at work, barring the Question Hour every day and
two-and-half hours on Fridays, is at the disposal of Government for Government
Business. Government, however, readily agree to provide time for consideration
of topics of urgent public importance as demanded by members from time to time
and recommended by the Business Advisory Committee of the two Houses.
4.3 Well before the
commencement of a Session of Parliament, all Ministries/Departments of the
Government of India are requested to intimate their legislative and
non-legislative proposals for consideration during the ensuing Session of
Parliament. However, the programme for the Session is not finalised merely on
the basis of replies received from the different Ministries/Departments. The
Ministry cross checks the information with the Legislative Department of the
Ministry of Law, Justice & Company Affairs to ascertain the position in regard
to drafting of the Bills. Thereafter, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
takes a meeting of senior officers of Ministries/Departments before the
commencement of every session to impress upon them the necessity of giving
priority to the finalisation of legislative proposals and other items of
Government Business. Legislative proposals which are not ripe enough and are
not likely to be ready in time are dropped. Three such meetings were held on
February 12, July 13 & November 9, 2001 before the Budget, Monsoon and the
Winter Sessions respectively. After having made a precise assessment of the
Government Business, a calendar of Government Business is tentatively drawn up
for each Session. During the period from 1.1.2001 to 31.12.2001, three
Tentative Lists of Government Business were prepared and made available to the
Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariats for circulation among Members of Parliament
to enable them to have a broad idea about the subjects that might come up in
the Session and to make preparation for participation in debates thereon.
4.4 In order to give members
advance information of the Government Business to be transacted by both Houses
of Parliament, the Minister/Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs makes
statements in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at the last sitting in each week
regarding Government Business to be taken up in the succeeding week. 17 such
statements were made in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the period
under report.
4.5 The process of planning
the programme of Government Business does not end by making a forecast once a
week. The progress of Business is constantly and closely watched so that
adjustments, if needed, could be made at short notice. In actual practice, such
adjustments are required to be made from day to day. For this purpose, the
Ministry supplies the order of Government business for each sitting of the two
Houses to the concerned Secretariat of Parliament for inclusion in the daily
Order Paper. During the period under report, 86 lists of Government Business
for the Lok Sabha and 77 for the Rajya Sabha were issued to the two
Secretariats of Parliament in connection with transaction of Government
Business.
4.6 Management of Government Business is important and requires a lot of skill and dexterity on the part of the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. As the Chief Whip of the Party in power, he must at all times ensure the attendance of Members of the Party. He also keeps close and constant contact with the Presiding Officers, the Leaders as well as Chief Whips and Whips of various parties and Groups.
Resume of
Government Business Transacted
(i)
Legislative
(ii)
Financial
4.8
Rule 204 of the Lok Sabha Rules provides that the
Annual Financial Statement in terms of article 112 of the Constitution
popularly known as the “Budget” shall be presented to Parliament on such day as
the President may direct. The Central Government Budget is presented in two
parts-Railways and General. The former is presented about 2-3 days earlier than
the General Budget which is normally presented on the last working day in the
month of February. The State Budgets in respect of States which are under
President’s rule are also presented. The budgets are presented to the Lok Sabha
when the Ministers-in-charge of Railways and Finance read their Budget
speeches. In Rajya Sabha, the annual Financial Statements are laid, usually
after the completion of speeches of the Ministers in Lok Sabha.
4.9 One of the important
decisions taken during the Budget Session, 1993 was to set up
Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees to scrutinise, inter-alia
the Demands for Grants of various Ministries/Departments before these are
discussed and voted in the House. The other functions of the Standing
Committees include examining Bills referred to them by the Chairman or Speaker,
annual reports of Ministries and basic long term policy documents presented to
the Houses and referred to them by the Presideing Officers. During the recess
of Parliament in March – April, 2001, 17 Department related Parliamentary
Standing Committees scrutinised inter-alia the Demands for Grants of various
Ministries/Departments of the Government of India.
BUDGETS
4.10 A Statement giving the dates of consideration of the Railway General & Manipur Budgets during the period from 1.1.2001 to 31.12.2001 is appended (Appendix - VIII).
OTHER OFFICIAL BUSINESS
4.11 The following other matters were considered on official motions during the period from 1.1.2001 to 31.12.2001:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sl. Subject Lok
Sabha Rajya
Sabha
No. Date(s) Time
taken Date(s) Time
taken
Hrs - Mts Hrs –Mts
_________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Motion
regarding appointment of a 26.4.2001 0 - 01 26.4.2001 0 - 03
Joint
Committee to go into the
irregularities
and manipulations in
all
their ramifications in all
transactions,
including insiders
trading,
relating to shares and other
financial
instruments and the role of
banks,
brokers and promoters, stock
exchanges,
financial institutions,
corporate
entities and regulatory
authorities
and matters relating
thereto.
(Adopted)
2. Resolution
regarding recommendation 23.8.2001 0 - 01 28.8.2001 0 - 01
made
in paragraphs 40, 41, 43, 45, 46,
47,
48 and 49 of the Second Report of the
Railway
Convention Committee, 1999
appointed
to review the rate of dividend
payable
by the Railway Undertaking to
General
Revenues etc. (Adopted)
3. Statutory
resolution seeking approval 30.7.2001 03 - 56 27.7.2001 02 - 51
of
the Proclamation issued by the President
on
the 2nd June, 2001 under article 356
of
the Constitution in relation to the
State
of Manipur. (Adopted)
4. Statutory
resolution seeking approval 20.11.2001 02 - 46 27.11.2001 02 - 44
to
the continuance in force of the
Proclamation,
dated the 2nd June, 2001
in
respect of Manipur, issued under
Article
356 of the Constitution by the
President,
for a further period of six
months
with effect from the 2nd
December,
2001. (Adopted)
5. Statutory
resolution seeking approval of + + 10.12.2001 00 - 03
the
House to reduction of working hours
of
the operative offices of the Departments
of
Posts and Telecommunications in CA
reference
number 9 (a) of 1980.
(Adopted)
+ In
Lok Sabha, the Resolution has already been adopted.
Broad Distribution of
Official Time
4.12 The broad distribution of total official time taken by Legislative, Financial and Non-Financial items (including debates arranged on Private Members' Motions during the time earnmarked for transaction of official business) in both Houses of Parliament is as under:-
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Item Lok
Sabha Rajya
Sabha Percentage
Hrs. Mts. Hrs. Mts. Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha
_______________________________________________________________________________________
(i)
Legislative 57
- 44 40
- 19 25.15% 20.76%
(ii)
Financial 37
- 29 15
- 10 16.32%
7.80%
(iii)
Non-Financial 134
- 23 138
- 48 58.53% 71.44%
______________________________________________________________________________________
Time lost on Adjournments due to Interruptions etc:-
4.13 During the period under report, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned on various occasions due to various reasons. Time spent/lost on such adjournments etc. in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during the period under report is indicated below:-
__________________________________________________________________________________
Session Actual
Total Time Time
spent on Percentage
of time on
Hrs. Mts. adjournments
due to interruptions
etc. due to
disorderly
scenes disorderly
scenes
Hrs. Mts.
__________________________________________________________________________________
LOK SABHA
6th 109 - 09 73 - 28 67.30%
7th 174 - 30 27 - 48 15.93%
8th 79 - 37 29 - 33 37.11%
________________________________________________________________________
Total 363 - 16 130 - 49 36.01%
________________________________________________________________________
RAJYA SABHA
192nd 90 - 22 55 - 34 11.52%
193rd 140 - 01 16 - 09 23.25%
194th 74 - 22 22 - 47 30.62%
________________________________________________________________________
Total 304 - 45 94 - 30 31.00%
________________________________________________________________________
Other Non-Official Business
4.14 During the period under report, 11 Calling Attention Notices (4 in Lok Sabha and 7 in Rajya Sabha) were discussed. In addition, four half-an-hour discussions were discussed in Lok Sabha. In Rajya Sabha, no half-an-hour discussion was admitted.
4.15
Resolution regarding destroying the Buddha statues
in Taliban - Adopted.
On
2nd March, 2001, Hon'ble Speaker in the Lok Sabha and Hon'ble
Chairman in Rajya Sabha moved the following Resolutions which were unanimously
adopted by the respected Houses:-
"Today,
in this new millennium, when all civilizations are coming together through
dialogue and shared values, we are shocked by the Taliban announcements of
intended acts of religious fundamentalism and terrorism against human culture
and civilization. They have moved tanks and guns to destroy one of the greatest
examples of human creativity. This intent of destroying the two thousand year
old statues of Buddha and the Buddhist shrines in Bamiyan would constitute an
appalling act of cultural vandalism.
This
House unanimously condemns the barbarism and anti-civilisational intent of the
Taliban in Afghanistan in the strongest possible terms. We hope the World
community and especially the United Nations will take note of this and prevail
upon the Taliban in Afghanistan to desist from this senseless destructive
act".
4.16 NUMBER OF SITTINGS OF
PARLIAMENT AND NUMBER OF BILLS PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
1952 to 2001
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Year Number of Sittings Year Number of Sittings
By both
by both
Houses of House of
Parliament
Parliament
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
___________________________________________________________________________
|
1952 |
103 |
60 |
82 |
1953 |
137 |
100 |
58 |
|
1954 |
137 |
103 |
54 |
1955 |
139 |
111 |
60 |
|
1956 |
151 |
113 |
106 |
1957 |
104 |
78 |
68 |
|
1958 |
125 |
91 |
59 |
1959 |
123 |
87 |
63 |
|
1960 |
121 |
87 |
67 |
1961 |
102 |
75 |
63 |
|
1962 |
116 |
91 |
68 |
1963 |
122 |
100 |
58 |
|
1964 |
122 |
97 |
56 |
1965 |
113 |
96 |
51 |
|
1966 |
119 |
109 |
57 |
1967 |
110 |
91 |
38 |
|
1968 |
120 |
103 |
67 |
1969 |
120 |
102 |
58 |
|
1970 |
119 |
107 |
53 |
1971 |
102 |
89 |
87 |
|
1972 |
111 |
99 |
82 |
1973 |
120 |
105 |
70 |
|
1974 |
119 |
109 |
68 |
1975 |
63 |
58 |
57 |
|
1976 |
98 |
84 |
118 |
1977 |
86 |
70 |
48 |
|
1978 |
115 |
97 |
50 |
1979 |
66 |
54 |
32 |
|
1980 |
96 |
90 |
72 |
1981 |
105 |
89 |
62 |
|
1982 |
92 |
82 |
73 |
1983 |
93 |
77 |
49 |
|
1984 |
77 |
63 |
73 |
1985 |
109 |
89 |
92 |
|
1986 |
98 |
86 |
71 |
1987 |
102 |
89 |
61 |
|
1988 |
102 |
89 |
71 |
1989 |
83 |
71 |
38 |
|
1990 |
81 |
66 |
30 |
1991 |
90 |
82 |
63 |
|
1992 |
98 |
90 |
44 |
1993 |
89 |
79 |
75 |
|
1994 |
77 |
75 |
61 |
1995 |
78 |
77 |
45 |
|
1996 |
70 |
64 |
36 |
1997 |
65 |
68 |
35 |
|
1998 |
64 |
59 |
40 |
1999 |
51 |
48 |
39 |
|
2000 |
85 |
85 |
63 |
2001 |
81 |
81 |
61 |
Home| Content | Previous | Next