1. The Winter
Session, 2003 of Parliament which commenced on Tuesday, the 2nd of
December, 2003, concludes today, the 5th of February, 2004. The Session was held in two parts – first
part of the Session was held from 2 December to 23 December, 2003
and second part of the Session commenced from 29 January, 2004 in case of Lok
Sabha and from 30 January, 2004 in case of Rajya Sabha and they are scheduled
to conclude today, the 5th of February, 2004. The Session yielded a
total of 21 sittings for Lok Sabha and 20 sittings for Rajya Sabha during the
two parts of the Session together.
2. Highlights of the second part of the Session were presentation of Interim Budgets (Railways and General) for 2004-2005, General Discussions thereon and transaction of various items of Financial Business relating to the General and Railways' Budgets (Annex-I). During this period, 6 Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha, 8 Bills each were passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and 8 Bills were passed by both Houses of Parliament (Annex-II & III). Short Duration Discussion on problem of unemployment in the country, which was inconclusively discussed in Rajya Sabha during first part of the Session, was also resumed and concluded during the second part of the Session. In Lok Sabha, Short Duration Discussion regarding plight of farmers, youth, and working class both in the organized and un-organized sectors was held.
3. A
statement containing "Facts at Glance" regarding work done during the
two parts of the Winter Session, 2003-04 vis-à-vis work done during the Winter
Sessions held during the last four years is enclosed (Annex-IV). From this statement, it can be seen that, in
spite of two parts of the Sessions having less or almost the same number of
sittings as the sittings of the Winter Sessions held in the last four years,
the Government Business transacted during the Winter Session, 2003-04,
particularly in terms of number of Bills introduced in Lok Sabha, Bills passed
by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha separately, Bills passed by both Houses of
Parliament and discussions held on official Motions, was more than the
corresponding Government Business transacted during Winter Sessions held during
the years 1999, 2000, and 2001. Even the
time lost due to adjournment of the Houses on account of interruptions, was
least during the Session as compared to Winter Sessions held during 1999, 2000
and 2001.
4. During the course of the Session, a point which was repeatedly raised from opposition benches was why the Houses were not prorogued in normal course after their adjournment sine die on 23 December, 2003. It has been argued that the second part of the Session which commenced on 29/30 January, 2004, was a fresh Session and, therefore, should have been addressed by the President. There have been several instances in the past when the Houses after their adjournment sine die have not been prorogued for a long time. In one such case, Lok Sabha, after its adjournment sine die, was not prorogued for as long a period as 75 days. Further, as the Session which commenced from 29/30 January, 2004, is only second part of the Winter Session held in December, 2003 and not a fresh Session, President's Address to the two Houses on it re-assembly was not necessary, in terms of article 87 of the Constitution. In a similar situation in 1963, the third Session of the Third Lok Sabha which was adjourned on 11 December, 1962 till 21 January, 1963, was not addressed by the President when the Houses re-assembled on 21 January, 1963.
Annex
- I
Discussions
held during second part of Winter Session, 2003
Lok Sabha
Official
Motions
|
Sl.No. |
Subject |
Date (s) of discussion |
Time Taken |
|||||
|
Hours |
Minutes |
|||||||
|
1. |
Discussion on the Interim Budget (Railways) for 2004-05 |
03.2.04 |
04 |
19 |
||||
|
2. |
Discussion and Voting on Demands for Grants on Account(Railways) for 2004-05 |
|||||||
|
3. |
Discussion and Voting on Supplementary Demands for Grants (Railways) for 2003-04 |
|||||||
|
4. |
Discussion and Voting on Demands for Excess Grant (Railways) for 2001-02 |
|||||||
|
5. |
Discussion on the Interim Budget (General) for 2004-05 |
04.02.04 |
07 |
13 |
||||
|
6. |
Discussion and Voting on Demands for Grants on Account (General) for 2004-05 |
|||||||
|
7. |
Discussion and Voting on Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2003-04 |
|||||||
|
Short Duration Discussion Under Rule 193 |
||||||||
|
1. |
Discussion regarding
plight of farmers, youth and working class both in the organized and
unorganized sectors. (Shri Basudeb Acharia) |
*05.2.2004 |
|
|
||||
|
Calling
Attention |
||||||||
|
1. |
Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi
called the attention of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning to
the situation arising out of regional imbalance in the development of North
Bengal region due to plan process of Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Plans
and steps taken by the Government in regard thereto. |
*05.2.2004 |
|
|
||||
Rajya Sabha
|
Sl.No. |
Subject |
Date (s) of discussion |
Time Taken |
|||
|
Hours |
Minutes |
|||||
|
1. |
General Discussion on the Interim Budget (Railways) for 2004-05 |
03.2.04 04.2.04 |
04 |
51 |
||
|
2. |
General Discussion on the Interim Budget (General) for 2004-05 |
*05.2.04 |
|
|
||
Short Duration
Discussion Under Rule 176
|
||||||
|
1. |
Further Discussion on the unemployment problem in the country, raised by Shri Suresh Pachouri on 23.12.2003 |
23.12.03 03.02.04 |
03 |
49 |
||
* Listed for discussion in today’s Order paper.
BILLS INTRODUCED IN THE LOK SABHA DURING SECOND PART
OF THE WINTER SESSION,
2003-2004
|
Sl. No. |
Name of the Bill |
Purport |
|
1 |
The Finance Bill, 2004 |
To
give effect to Government's proposals regarding taxes during the first four
months of the next financial year. |
|
2 |
The Appropriation (Railways) Vote on Account Bill,
2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of the
Consolidated Fund of India for part of the services for the financial year
2004-2005 for the purposes of Railways. |
|
3 |
The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of the
Consolidated Fund of India for the services for the financial year 2003-2004
for the purposes of Railways |
|
4 |
The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of
the Consolidated Fund of India for meeting expenditure incurred in excess of
Grants for the financial year 2001-2002. |
|
5 |
The Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of the
Consolidated Fund of India for part of the services of the financial year
2004-2005 |
|
6 |
The Appropriation
Bill, 2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of
the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year
2003-2004 |
BILLS PASSED BY LOK SABHA, RAJYA SABHA AND BY BOTH
HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
DURING SECOND PART OF THE WINTER SESSION, 2003-2004
|
Sl. No. |
Name of the Bill |
Purport |
|
1 |
The
Foreigners (Amendment) Bill, 2004 |
To amend the Foreigners Act to enhance the penalty from the existing five years' imprisionment to eight years' imprisonment. |
|
2 |
The Appropriation (Railways) Vote on Account Bill,
2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of
the Consolidated Fund of India for part of the services for the financial
year 2004-2005 for the purposes of Railways. |
|
3 |
The Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of
the Consolidated Fund of India for the services for the financial year 2003-2004
for the purposes of Railways |
|
4 |
The Appropriation (Railways) No.2 Bill, 2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of
the Consolidated Fund of India for meeting expenditure incurred in excess of
Grants for the financial year 2001-2002. |
|
5 |
The British Statutes (Repeal) Bill, 2004 |
To
repeal four British Statutes still in force in India as recommended by P.C.
Jain Commission. |
|
6 |
The Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of
the Consolidated Fund of India for part of the services of the financial year
2004-2005 |
|
7 |
The Appropriation
Bill, 2004 |
To
authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of
the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year
2003-2004 |
|
8 |
The Finance Bill, 2004 |
To
give effect to Government's proposals regarding taxes. |
Annex IV
FACTS AT
GLANCE – WINTER SESSION, 2003 VIS-A-VIS WINTER SESSIONS HELD
DURING 1999-2002
14th Session of Thirteenth Lok Sabha and 200th Session of Rajya Sabha
Lok Sabha:- 1st part - 2.12.2003 to 23.12.2003 and 2nd part - 29.1.2004 to 5.2.2004
Rajya Sabha:- 1st part - 2.12.2003 to 23.12.2003 and 2nd part - 30.1.2004 to 5.2.2004
|
Sl.No. |
|
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
||||
|
1st Part |
2nd
Part |
Total |
||||||||
1.
|
Number Days
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Lok Sabha |
25 |
33 |
31 |
33 |
22 |
8 |
30 |
||
|
|
Rajya Sabha |
25 |
33 |
31 |
33 |
22 |
7 |
29 |
||
2.
|
Number of
Sittings
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Lok Sabha |
19 |
25 |
21 |
23 |
16 |
5 |
21 |
||
|
|
Rajya Sabha |
19 |
25 |
21 |
23 |
16 |
4 |
20 |
||
3.
|
Actual Number of
Working Hours
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Lok Sabha |
123-30 |
111-22 |
79-37 |
158-38 |
95.04 |
#28-12 |
123-16 |
||
|
|
Rajya Sabha |
105-06 |
81-04 |
74-23 |
111-03 |
69.41 |
#21-35 |
91-16 |
||
4.
|
Total time lost due
to Adjournment on account of interruption
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Lok Sabha |
14.40 |
59.49 |
29.33 |
00.27 |
6.45 |
- |
6.45 |
||
|
|
Rajya Sabha |
6.56 |
39.13 |
22.47 |
-- |
8.48 |
- |
8.48 |
||
5.
|
Percentage of time
lost with reference to actual workings hours(Rounded off to nearest whole
number)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Lok Sabha |
12 |
54 |
37 |
00.28 |
7 |
- |
7 |
||
|
|
Rajya Sabha |
7 |
49 |
31 |
00.00 |
12 |
- |
12 |
||
6.
|
Bills Introduced
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Lok Sabha |
14 |
20 |
10 |
17 |
18 |
6 |
24 |
||
|
|
Rajya Sabha |
18 |
08 |
09 |
03 |
09 |
- |
09 |
||
|
7. |
Bills passed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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||