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Washed out: Week’s Parliament proceedings

South Korean delegation tastes parliament din and adjournment

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Opposition members protest raising various issues during the second phase of the budget session of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
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Nothing, not even the presence of parliamentary delegation of South Korea led by the Speaker of its national assembly, Chung Sye Kyun, as guests could deter the MPs from their protests on Friday as both the Houses of Parliament got adjourned for the fifth consecutive day without conducting any legislative business or debate.

While the Lok Sabha adjourned amid protests for the day soon after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan paid tributes to former members Prabodh Panda, Shyama Singh and Bhanu Kumar Shastri who died recently, the Rajya Sabha too followed suit failing to conduct even the business of private members Bill that usually goes unscathed.

It was the first week of the second half of the budget session of Parliament, in which the Finance Bill 2018 and Demands for Grants are required to be passed.

MPs of several parties including TDP, YSR Congress and AIADMK, continued their protests over special status for Andhra Pradesh and constitution of Cauvery river management board respectively. While the TRS pressed for increased quota of Telangana, Congress and Trinamool Congress continued their protests seeking PM's clarification over the Rs 12,700 crore fraud at the country's second largest PSU lender PNB.

Raju, senior TDP leader who had quit as the civil aviation minister, was also seen standing in the Well with his party colleagues demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

In the Rajya Sabha the proceedings were disrupted as members of several parties stormed the well over various issues including India's biggest bank scam and special package for Andhra Pradesh, as soon as the listed papers were laid.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not wait and adjourned the proceedings till 2:30 p.m. observing, "One week has gone waste. This is no good. This is sad."

Before adjourning the house, Naidu announced the nomination of JD(U) member Kahkashan Parveen on the panel of presiding officers to conduct the proceedings of the House, making her the first woman to be included in the panel in the recent times.

The move came a day after the International Women's Day when several members demanded inclusion of a woman member in the panel, which was agreed to by the Chairman.

Parveen would replace Basawaraj Patil, whose term expires on April 2, Naidu said, adding that she has been a mayor and the chairperson of the Bihar Mahila Aayog.

When senior Congress member Viplove Thakur who had demanded the inclusion of a woman in the presiding officer's panel yesterday, rose to thank him, Naidu, in a lighter vein, said he wanted to nominate Thakur, but she would have lost her voice in the panel.

"Viplove, in our language, means revolution," he said.

When the Upper House reassembled to take up the Private Members' Business, Pramod Tewari of Congress tried to raise a point of order on the issue of the banking scam.

However, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien disallowed him and instead asked him to persuade his protesting party colleagues to return to their seats from the well.

However, opposition members and NDA partner TDP continued to protest prompting Kurien to adjourn the House for the day.

Public Money

  • Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were virtually washed out for the entire week.
  • This is happening at a cost both to public trust and the public exchequer.
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