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NDTV
20 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Just 3 Days Of Parliament Disruptions Have Cost You Rs 23 Crore. Here's How
New Delhi: The Monsoon session of Parliament has, as expected, been a stormy one, but behind the headlines about repeated adjournments lies a real cost - Rs 2.5 lakh for every minute the Parliament is in session during active hours. The current session began on Monday and two key issues which have led to a logjam in both Houses - Lok Sabha more than the Rajya Sabha - have been the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the opposition has dubbed an attempt to help the ruling coalition, and the opposition parties' demand for a discussion on Operation Sindoor, which was India's response to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Each house of Parliament is supposed to be productive for six hours a day - excluding one hour for lunch - and, according to former parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal in 2012, running the Parliament for one minute while in session costs Rs 2.5 lakh - or Rs 1.25 lakh each for the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. These figures are now a conservative estimate, given that they are from over a decade ago, but, in the absence of updated ones, that is what we will use for the calculations to follow. There have been three days in the monsoon session, which means each House should have functioned for 18 hours. Given the adjournments, however, according to data from non-profit PRS legislative research, the Rajya Sabha has functioned for 4.4 hours and the Lok Sabha for a measly 0.9 hours, or 54 minutes. This means that the disruptions have cost the taxpayer Rs 10.2 crore for the Rajya Sabha (816 minutes lost multiplied by Rs 1.25 lakh) and Rs 12.83 crore for the Lok Sabha (1,026 minutes it did not function multiplied by Rs 1.25 lakh). So, just three days of disruption have cost tax-paying citizens Rs 23 crore. Point, Counter-Point On Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had slammed the opposition and accused it of wasting taxpayers' money. "The Opposition party leaders are all present here. In the Business Advisory meeting, it was decided that there would be a discussion on Operation Sindoor, and a fixed time was agreed upon. All issues cannot be taken up at once. Yet, instead of cooperating, they came with placards and disrupted the House," he said in the Lok Sabha "They're protesting with pillows, bringing placards -- despite agreeing not to. This is not acceptable. If they wanted a discussion and we were ready, then why disrupt the House?" he asked. Congress MP Randeep Surjewala accused the government of not letting the Parliament function and disallowing discussion. "Votes of 52 lakh people of Bihar are being cut... Isn't this a conspiracy to end democracy? It shows that this government wants to end democracy in this country. We only want to discuss this," he said on Wednesday
Mint
a day ago
- Politics
- Mint
Burnt cash discovery row: Govt weighs probe into allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma
The Central government is working to constitute a committee to probe allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma in the alleged burnt cash recovery case, government sources said on Wednesday, July 23. Earlier, sources had indicated that the proposed committee may include a Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice from a High Court, and a noted jurist. The talks on formation of a committee came after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju mentioned that over 100 MPs have signed calling for the impeachment process against Justice Varma. "The signature (collection) is underway, and it has crossed 100 already," Kiren Rijiju said. When asked if the issue of Justice Yashwant Varma and cash recovery would also be taken up in the monsoon session, Kiren Rijiju said, "In the Justice Varma case, the process will be undertaken together by all parties. This is not the move by the government alone." 'I can't comment on any business in terms of priority until and unless the matter is passed by the BAC [Business Advisory Committee] with the approval of the chair. It is difficult to make an announcement outside,' he added. On Monday, Members of Parliament submitted a memorandum to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to remove High Court Justice Yashwant Varma in connection with the cash discovery row. According to the reports, as many as 145 Lok Sabha members – including MPs Anurag Singh Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, PP Chaudhary, Supriya Sule, KC Venugopal – have signed the impeachment motion against Justice Varma under Articles 124, 217, and 218 of the Constitution. MPs from various parties, including Congress, TDP, JDU, JDS, Jan Sena Party, AGP, SS (Shinde), LJSP, SKP, CPM, etc., signed the memorandum. The alleged cash discovery happened on the night of Holi, March 14, when a fire broke out in the storeroom of Yashwant Varma's Lutyens' Delhi residence around 11.35 pm. Several pictures of the burnt cash surfaced on social media. In his response, Justice Varma 'unequivocally' denied the allegations against him, terming them as 'totally preposterous'. 'I state unequivocally that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by me or any of my family members and strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us. The very idea or suggestion that this cash was kept or stored by us is totally preposterous,' Justice Varma said. He said, 'The suggestion that one would store cash in an open, freely accessible and commonly used storeroom near the staff quarters or in an outhouse verges on the incredible and incredulous.'
Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Parl marred by ‘SIR' row, both Houses adjourned
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Tuesday due to protests by the opposition demanding a discussion on the ongoing voter roll revision in Bihar, even as the government accused them of practising "double standards" by asking for a debate on one hand and disrupting the House on the other. The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned for the day without transacting any business after uproar by Opposition members over several issues including a discussion on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Opposition members trooped to the Well of the Lok Sabha when the House reconvened at 2 pm after two earlier adjournments on the second day of the Monsoon session of Parliament demanding a discussion and roll back of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise initiated by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of assembly polls scheduled for later this year. Dilip Saikia, who was on the chair, made repeated requests to opposition MPs to go back to their places and allow the House to function. As the protests continued, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju got up and condemned the opposition behaviour. The Upper House earlier saw two adjournments during the pre-lunch period, before it was finally adjourned within minutes of meeting at 2 PM. Soon after the House met, Deputy Chairman Harivansh announced the name of Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to move a motion for consideration of The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025.
Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
LS, RS adjourned amid Oppn protests
New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on Tuesday amid protests by INDIA bloc members who raised slogans and waved placards against the ongoing voter list revision in Bihar and calling for a discussion on Operation Sindoor. Both houses will meet at 11 AM on Wednesday, the third day of monsoon session of Parliament. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the Opposition for what he called double-standards. 'They (Opposition) are demanding discussion, and we are ready for it. Then why are they not allowing the House to function?' the minister said. "This double-standards is wrong. If you want discussion, then do not create ruckus. The government has said that we are ready for discussion. You are wasting public money," he said, speaking between the Opposition protest on the floor of the House on Tuesday. The Opposition on Tuesday forced adjournments in the Lok Sabha by raising slogans and waving placards against the ongoing voter roll revision in Bihar and calling for a discussion on Operation Sindoor. Opposition members trooped to the Well of the Lok Sabha on the second day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, demanding a rollback of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise initiated by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of assembly polls scheduled for later this year. When the House re-convened at 12 noon, BJP member Jagdambika Pal, who was in the chair, urged the floor leaders of the opposition parties to ask their members to return to their seats and allow the House to function. "The government is ready to discuss any issue which the Speaker allows as per the rules. I appeal to you to go back to your seats," said Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. Pal also urged Opposition members not to show placards and instead give in writing their demands at the meetings of the Business Advisory Committee. As ruckus continued, Pal adjourned proceedings till 2 PM. The House was later adjourned for the day as the protests continued. Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha too. Earlier, when Lok Sabha House met at 11 am, Opposition MPs, including Congress, were on their feet, demanding discussion on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and Operation Sindoor. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the opposition members to go back to their seats so that the House can take up questions related to farmers during the designated time of Question Hour. Speaker Om Birla intervened and told the opposition MPs that sloganeering and showing placards lowered the dignity of the House. He later adjourned the House till 12 noon. The House could not function on the first day of the session on Monday due to repeated adjournments following opposition protests over the demand of discussion on Operation Sindoor.
United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
LS adjourned for second day amid continued ruckus by Opposition
New Delhi, July 22 (UNI) The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the second consecutive day today without any proceedings, following persistent disruptions by Opposition parties. As soon as the House re-assembled at 2 pm, Opposition members trooped into the well of the House, holding placards and shouting slogans. Presiding officer Dilip Saikia urged the agitating members to go back to their seats and let the House function. But the sloganeering by the protesting members continued. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju while condemning the action of the Opposition said, '"It was decided in the meeting that 'Operation Sindoor' would be discussed first, and a specific time has been allotted for it. How can all issues be addressed simultaneously?" He further said that the members protesting with placards is not acceptable. 'In the Business Advisory Committee we have said that the government is ready to discuss. But they (Opposition) don't want to run the House'. 'You waste crores of tax payers' money by disrupting the House,' Rijiju slammed the Opposition. But the Opposition ruckus continued and the Chair adjourned the House till 11 AM on Wednesday. Earlier, the zero hour was disrupted, leading to the adjournment of the House until 2 pm. When the proceedings resumed at 12 noon following the first adjournment, Opposition members entered the well of the House, shouting slogans and causing an uproar. After the papers were laid on the table, presiding officer Jagdambika called for the zero hour. Opposition members raised slogan, demanding discussion on SIR (Special Intensive Review) and other issues and trooped into the well of the House. Pal informed the members that, based on their demand, the Business Advisory Committee has agreed to discuss Operation Sindoor for 16 hours. Therefore, members of all parties should remain seated and participate in the House proceedings. He said that the government is willing to discuss any issue raised by the Opposition, but they did not listen to him and continued to create ruckus. Meanwhile, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal assured the members that the government is ready to hold discussions on all issues. Jagdambika Pal also stated that instead of displaying placards and shouting slogans, members should cooperate in the smooth functioning of the House. As the uproar intensified, he adjourned the proceedings of the House until 2 pm. UNI RBE PRS
