‘You will be in our thoughts’: RS Chairman Venkaiah Naidu bids farewell to 72 members of House

Naidu also thanked the ministers and floor Leaders in assisting him in “resolving some contentious situations”. In his speech, Naidu noted the contribution of veterans like P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Praful Patel, Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh, Suresh Prabhu, Prasanna Acharya, Naresh Gujral and Satish Chandra Misra.

“The Committee on Home Affairs, chaired by Anand Sharma, has studied in depth various issues relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. I have gone through that report given the importance of the issue. The committee examined the matter in detail, not for fault-finding but to lay out a pathway to tackle such a situation in the future in a concerted manner by enhancing our collective preparedness. Anand Sharma, in particular, and members of the committee, in general, deserve appreciation for such an approach in the larger interest of the country,” said Naidu.

He also revealed that the committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, under the chairmanship of T G Venkatesh, is the lead performer both in terms of attendance and duration of the meetings – working hard to achieve 50 per cent attendance and meeting duration of two-and-a-half hours per meeting, “which is the benchmark set by me for these committees”.

“The issues taken up for examination by the committee on science and technology are highly technical in nature. Despite that, the committee, chaired by Jairam Ramesh, has taken up important contemporary issues and delivered useful reports. I appreciate Jairam Ramesh for his initiative of examining the menace of misuse of social media for pornography and its adverse impacts on children and submitting a report as the chairman of the ad hoc committee, which was constituted by me,” Naidu observed.

He also pointed out that the committees on commerce led by V Vijaysai Reddy and the committee on education under Dr Vinay Saharabuddhe, showed remarkable improvement in functioning.

“The 84-year-old, S R Balasubramoniyan (AIADMK), has set an example in attending the House. Since the 244th Session, the first full session that I presided over in 2017, he has attended all the 234 sittings of the House since then without fail. This is a remarkable commitment to one’s parliamentary duties demonstrating that passion and sincerity have nothing to do with age,” said Naidu, adding that among those who were retiring, several MPs had over 90% attendance.

Naidu further pointed out that several first-time members, such as BJD’s Dr Sasmit Patra, were quick in adapting to the nuances of the House. Patra was also in the panel of Vice Chairmen and conducted proceedings “in a dignified manner”.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman, however, spoke of the increased disruptions in the proceedings of the House in recent years, a subject that he has repeatedly raised on different platforms, including within Parliament.

“To be a legislator is an honour conferred by the people. It is even more a privilege to be a Member of the Rajya Sabha. Such honour and privilege come with a set of responsibilities towards incorporating the expectations and aspirations of the people in the designing of laws and policies. Unfortunately, at a broader level, that privilege is not being put to the best use.

Functioning of the Legislature is being marred by persistent and often unjustifiable disruptions. It is disturbing to note that during the last four years, this august House has lost over 35 per cent of its valuable functional time due to such tendencies. This needs to be curbed before it becomes too late. Disruption-free proceedings offer a range of opportunities to the members to give their best, as we get to see during the smooth functioning of the House,” said Naidu, adding that the legislators across the country look to Parliament, in particular to the ‘House of the Elders’, for inspiration.

“See to it that we maintain dignity, decorum and also have meaningful discussions. I am glad to note that most of the members retiring kept themselves away from disabling tendencies; most of them,” he said.

Expressing his desire that many of the parliamentarians would return to the House, Naidu wished luck to those who would not return, but would “continue to contribute to public life” outside Parliament. “While we will be missing some of you, each one of you will continue to be in our thoughts,” he said.

“I particularly used to feel very happy when members used to come prepared, analyse issues and make wonderful contribution. I used to feel very happy as if our family member was performing in such a manner. That is also an opportunity for me as the Chairman,” he said, wishing all retiring members luck.