CHAPTER - IV
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS IN PARLIAMENT
Government Business
4.1 In a Parliamentary democracy a major portion of work before the Parliament relates to Government Business. Planning of Government Business, therefore, assumes great significance. It becomes the responsibility of the Government to see that the time for this purpose is wisely and effectively utilised. The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha provide that on days allotted for transaction of Government Business, that Business shall have precedence and that Business shall be arranged in such order as the Presiding Officers of the two Houses may determine in consultation with the Leader of the respective Houses. The function of planning and co-ordination of Government Business has been entrusted to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. In the discharge of this function, the Ministry works under the directions of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
4.2 Almost the entire time when the Parliament is at work, barring the Question Hour every day and two-and-half hours on Fridays, is at the disposal of Government for Government Business. Government, however, readily agree to provide time for consideration of topics of urgent public importance as demanded by members from time to time and recommended by the Business Advisory Committees of the two Houses.
Planning of Government Business in the Parliament
4.3 Well before the commencement of Session of Parliament, all Ministries/Departments of the Government of India are requested to intimate their legislative and non-legislative proposals for consideration during the ensuing Session of Parliament. However, the programme for the Session is not finalised merely on the basis of replies received from the different Ministries/Departments. The Ministry cross-checks the information with the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Law and Justice to ascertain the position in regard to drafting of the Bills. Thereafter, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs takes a meeting of senior officers of Ministries/Departments before the commencement of every session to impress upon them the necessity of giving priority to the finalisation of legislative proposals, and other items of Government Business. Legislative proposals which are not ripe enough and are not likely to be ready in time are dropped. Two such meetings were held on 14.5.1998 and 10.11.1998 before the Budget and the Winter Sessions respectively. After having made a precise assessment of the Government Business, a calendar of Government Business is tentatively drawn up for each Session. During the period from 1.4.1998 to 31.12.1998, two Tentative Lists of Government Business were prepared and made available to the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariats for circulation among Members through Parliamentary Bulletins. The Tentative List of Government Business enables members of Parliament to have a broad idea about the subjects that might come up in the Session and to make preparation for participation in debates thereon.
4.4 In order to give members advance information of the Government Business to be transacted by both Houses of Parliament, the Minister/Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs makes statements in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at the last sitting in each week regarding Government Business to be taken up in the succeeding week. 10 such statements in the Lok Sabha and 12 in the Rajya Sabha were made during the period under report.
4.5 The process of planning the programme of Government Business does not end by making a forecast once a week. The progress of Business is constantly and closely watched so that adjustments, if needed, could be made at short notice. In actual practice, such adjustments are required to be made from day to day. For this purpose, the Ministry supplied the order of Government Business for each sitting of the two Houses to the concerned Secretariat of Parliament for inclusion in the daily Order Paper. During the period under report, 61 lists of Government Business for the Lok Sabha and 67 for the Rajya Sabha were issued to the two Secretariats of Parliament in connection with transaction of Government Business.
Management of Government Business
4.6 Management of Government Business is important and requires a lot of skill and dexterity on the part of the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. As the Chief Whip of the Party in power, he must at all times ensure the attendance of Members of the Party. He also keeps close and constant contact with the Presiding Officers, the Leaders as well as Chief Whips and Whips of various parties and Groups.
Resume of Government Business Transacted
(i) Legislative
4.7 A total of 33 Bills were pending, in Parliament at the conclusion of First Session of Twelfth Lok Sabha and the 183rd Session of Rajya Sabha. 58 Bills (47 Bills in Lok Sabha and 11 Bills in Rajya Sabha) were introduced in two Houses during the period under report, making a total of 91 Bills. Out of these, 32 Bills were passed by both Houses during the period under report. Apart from this, one Bill namely, the Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 1998 which was passed by Lok Sabha and transmitted to the Rajya Sabha was not considered by the Rajya Sabha. However, in terms of article 109(5) of the Constitution, this Bill being Money Bill was deemed to have been passed by both Houses after expiration of 14 days of its receipt in the Rajya Sabha. Therefore, the number of Bills passed by both Houses during the period under report is 33 as indicated in Appendix-Ill. This leaves a total of 58 Bills (22 Bills in Lok Sabha, 36 Bills in Rajya Sabha) pending in both Houses of Parliament at the conclusion of Winter Session, 1998 (Appendix-IV).
(ii) Financial
4.8 Rule 204 of the Lok Sabha Rules provides that the Annual Financial Statement in terms of article 112 of the Constitution popularly known as the "Budget" shall be presented to Parliament on such day as the President may direct. The Central Government Budget is presented in two parts - Railways and General. The former is presented about a week earlier than the General Budget which is normally presented on the last working day in the month of February. The State Budgets in respect of States which are under President's rule, are also presented. The Budgets are presented to the Lok Sabha when the Minister-in-charge of Railways and Finance read their Budget speeches. In Rajya Sabha, the Annual Financial Statement is laid, usually after the completion of speech of the Minister in Lok Sabha.
4.9 One of the important decisions taken during the Budget Session, 1993 was to set up Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees to scrutinise, inter-alia the Demands for Grants of various Ministries/Departments before these are discussed and voted in the House. The other functions of the Standing Committees include examining Bills referred to them by the Chairman or Speaker, annual reports of Ministries and basic long terms policy documents presented to the Houses and referred to them by the Presiding Officers. During the recess of Parliament in June-July, 1998, 17 Department related Parliamentary Standing Committees scrutinised inter-alia the Demands for Grants of various Ministries/Departments of the Government of India before these were discussed and voted in the House.
Budgets
4.10 A statement giving the dates for consideration of the Railway Budget and General Budget during the period from 1.4.1998 to 31.12.1998 is appended (Appendix - V)
(iii) Other Official Business
4.11 The following other matters were considered on Official motions
during the period from 1.4.1998 to 31.12.1998:-
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Sl.
Subject
Lok Sabha
Rajya Sabha
No.
__________________________ _________________________
Date (s)
Lok Sabha Date
(s) Rajya
Sabha
Time
Taken
Time Taken
Hrs-----Mts
Hrs-----Mts
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Discussion on the final
Report
5.8.98
14-28
3.8.98 8-25
of the Jain
Commission
and
6.8.98
4.8.98
Memorandum of
Action Taken
on the
Report, laid on the
Table of the House
on 31.7.98
2. Discussion on the
Thirtieth
8.12.98
2-35
1.12.98 6-04
Report of the
erstwhile
(Inconclusive) 2.12.98
Commissioner for
Scheduled
3.12.98
Castes and Scheduled
Tribes
7.12.98
for the
years 1989-91.
3.
Consideration and
adoption
22.12.98
--
23.12.98 --
of
Resolution regarding draft
Ministers'
(Allowances, Medical
Treatment and
other
Privileges)
Amendment Rules,
1998(Adopted) ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Home| Content | Previous | Next