A lament for RS by Ansari8230;

THE year 2008 will 8220;go down in Parliamentary history as the year when the House had the lowest number of annual sittings 8212; a mere 46 sittings for the calendar year,8221; chairman of Rajya Sabha Vice-President Hamid Ansari lamented in his statement as the House was adjourned sine die and the 214th session was drawn to a close.

THE year 2008 will 8220;go down in Parliamentary history as the year when the House had the lowest number of annual sittings 8212; a mere 46 sittings for the calendar year,8221; chairman of Rajya Sabha Vice-President Hamid Ansari lamented in his statement as the House was adjourned sine die and the 214th session was drawn to a close. The chairman also pointed out how the practice of 8220;enacting legislation after due deliberation8221; had suffered with important legislations passed in the 8220;din8221;.

8220;The raison d8217;etre of our existence is enacting legislation after due deliberation and ensuring the accountability of the executive. While much legislative activity has taken place in this session, the passing of important legislative business in the din does no credit to our Parliament. Apart from its inherent undesirability, the absence of Parliamentary debate would not help future generations in ascertaining the legislative intent. The contrast with the debates of the Constituent Assembly and thereafter could not be starker,8221; Ansari added.

Asserting that the year was 8216;difficult8217; with the nation facing unprecedented terror attacks and serious global and national economic crisis, the chairman thanked all members for their co-operation in the smooth functioning of the House, especially the three-minute rule for the Zero Hour.

While three Bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday even as there was an uproar over Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay8217;s controversial comments on the killing of Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare. While ministers moved the legislations and made statements that were drowned in the din, no debate or discussions on the Bills could be conducted.

On Tuesday too, while the Government moved another three legislations when it met at 2 pm, with RS members demanding Antulay8217;s resignation and entering the well, no discussions could be carried out. All three legislations 8212;The Information Technology Amendment Bill, 2008, The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Reservation in Posts and Services Bill, 2008 and The Appropriation Railways No 5 Bill, 2008 8212; were passed by the Upper House within minutes as the slogan-shouting against Antulay continued. The 39 Special Mentions planned for Tuesday in the Upper House were also put off with the din not dying out.