Lok Sabha adjourned sine die

Lok Sabha adjourned sine die

The Winter Session of the Lok Sabha came to an end on Thursday after passage of the historic Lokpal Bill along with several other crucial legislations but not without tumultuous events due to which half of the session was lost.

The session, which commenced on 22^nd November, also saw the Government suffering embarrassment in the Lower House in the wake of the defeat of the bill for giving constitutional status for the anti-graft ombudsman and turmoil over several issues including FDI in retail.

During the session spread over 24 sittings, 27 bills were introduced and 18 bills were passed which included Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons making the Disclosures Bill, the Life Insurance Corporation (Amendment) Bill and the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill.

Out of the total 400 questions listed, only 41 could be answered orally - an average just 2.05 questions per day.

In her valedictory address, Speaker Meira Kumar said no private member business could be taken up due to forced adjournments of the House and regretted the loss of valuable time due to interruptions.

"In this session, the House sat late for 22 hours and 12 minutes. But regrettably we lost over 76 hours and 21 minutes of time due to interruptions followed by forced adjournments," she said on Thursday.

The session witnessed stalling of House for nearly two weeks over various issues including FDI in retail and the opposition demand for an adjournment motion on the issue of price rise which was later accepted on a mutually acceptable wording.

The NDA boycott of Home Minister P Chidambaram on the 2G issue, Mullaperiyar row and demand for separate Telangana led to tumultuous scenes during the session, which sat for 82 hours and 45 minutes.

The session was extended by three days from 27^th to 29^th December to take up important bills, particularly the Lokpal Bill.

The House had a discussion of an adjournment motion on the situation arising out of money deposited illegally in foreign banks and action being taken against the guilty persons.

The Lok Sabha also adopted a motion, moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal regarding constitution of a committee of both the Houses - the Committee for Welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).