CHAPTER - IV
GOVERNMENT
BUSINESS IN PARLIAMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF PARLIAMENTARY TIME
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
the government for government business. The government, however, readily agrees
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
Committee of the two Houses.
4.3
Well before the commencement of a 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 & 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. Three
such meetings were held on February 10, 2003, July 14, 2003 and November 24,
2003 before the Budget, Monsoon 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 1.1.2003 to 31.03.2004, three tentative lists of government business were
prepared and made available to the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha secretariats for
circulation among members of Parliament to enable them 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. 13 such statements were made in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya
Sabha during the period under report.
4.5 (a) 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 supplies 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, 81 Lists of Government
Business for the Lok Sabha and 74 for the Rajya Sabha were issued to the two
Secretariats of Parliament in connection with transaction of government
business.
4.5 (b)
Business Advisory Committee (Lok Sabha) and business Advisory Committee
(Rajya Sabha) allot time for discussion of various items of government business
in consultation with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. During the year,
notes were sent to the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariats for allocation of time
in respect of 205 items (Lok Sabha
95 and Rajya Sabha 110).
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/she must at all times ensure the attendance
of Members of his/her Party as also of allied/supporting parties, if any. He/she
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
4.8
On the dissolution of the Thirteenth Lok Sabha on February 6, 2004,
43 Bills as indicated in Appendix-IV lapsed in terms of Article 107(5) of the
Constitution. 30 Bills as indicated in Appendix-V remained pending in the Rajya
Sabha after the dissolution of the Thirteenth Lok Sabha.
(ii)
Financial
4.9
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 two to three days 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 Ministers-in-charge of Railways and Finance read their Budget
speeches. In Rajya Sabha, the annual financial statements are laid, usually
after the completion of speeches of the ministers in Lok Sabha.
4.10
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 term policy
documents presented to the Houses and referred to them by the presiding
officers. During the recess of Parliament which is normally held in March-April,
2003, 17 Department related parliamentary standing committees scrutinised
inter-alia the demands for grants of various ministries/departments of the
Government of India.
Vote on Account (General and Railway) obtained
4.11
The Thirteenth Lok Sabha was constituted on October 10, 1999
and its first sitting was held on October 20, 1999. In terms of Article
83(2) of the Constitution, the House of the People, unless sooner dissolved,
shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and
no longer and the expiration of the said period of five years shall operate as a
dissolution of the House. As such, the Thirteenth Lok Sabha, unless sooner
dissolved, would have automatically stood dissolved on October 19, 2004.
However, the Cabinet at its meeting held on January 27, 2004, decided to advise
the President to dissolve the Thirteenth Lok Sabha on February 6, 2004. The
Cabinet also decided that Vote on Account (Railways & General) for 2004-05
and the Finance Bill, 2004 may be passed before February 6, 2004 to ensure the
smooth functioning of the government. The second part of the Fourteenth Session
of the Thirteenth Lok Sabha was convened on January 29, 2004; and the second
part of the 200th Session of the Rajya Sabha was convened on January
30, 2004 primarily for obtaining approval to the Vote on Account for Railway and
General Budgets for a period of four months ending July 31, 2004.
The objective was to enable the Central Government to meet expenditure
from the Consolidated Fund of India till the passing of the Annual Railway and
General Budgets by the new Lok Sabha. The Houses were adjourned sine-die on
February 5, 2004. To facilitate purposeful discussion on the Vote on Account in
the House, a report containing, in brief, the activities of the Ministry for the
calender year 2003, was prepared for circulation among the Members of
Parliament.
Budget
4.12
A statement giving the dates of consideration of the Railway &
General Budgets during the period
from 1.1.2003 to 31.03.2004 is appended (Appendix - VI).
Other Official Business
4.13
The following other matters were considered on official motions during
the period from 1.1.2003 to 31.03.2004:
|
Sl. No. |
Subject/Ministry Concerned |
Lok Sabha |
Rajya Sabha |
|
||||||||||||
|
|
Date (s) |
Time taken Hrs – Mts |
Date (s) |
Time taken Hrs - Mts |
|
|||||||||||
|
1. |
Statutory Resolution seeking approval of the
Notification No. 11/2003-Customs dated January 15, 2003 {G.S.R.
32 (E) dated January 15, 2003} which seeks to amend the first
Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 so as to enhance the rate of
customs duty applicable to goods falling under sub-heading No. 0703.20
from 30% to 100% and preferential rate of duty from 30% to 90% in
respect of imports from preferential areas. (Adopted) (Ministry of Finance) |
7.03.2003 |
00-06 |
7.03.2003 |
00
- 06 |
|
||||||||||
|
2. |
Resolution seeking approval to reject the Award
given on February 4, 1993 by the Board of Arbitration in CA, reference
No. 2 of 1991 relating to grant of special pay to Private Secretaries
(merged Grades ‘A’ and
‘B’) of Central Secretariat Stenographers’ Service in the
ministries and departments of the government of India with effect from
October 6, 1987. (Adopted) (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
& Pensions) |
$ |
$ |
10.3.2003 |
00
- 03 |
|||||||||||
|
3. |
Resolution seeking approval to reject the Award
given on 30th July, 1998 by the Board of Arbitration in CA
reference No. 11 of 1992 relating to upward revision of pay scales of
Stenographers’ Grade ‘D’ of Central Secretariat Stenographers’
Service with effect from December 6, 1991. (Adopted) (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
& Pensions) |
$ |
$ |
10.3.2003 |
00
-02 |
|||||||||||
|
4. |
Resolution seeking approval to reject the Award
given by the Board of Arbitration in CA reference No. 6 of 1981 relating
to revision of rates of overtime allowance and raising of the upper pay
limit for admissibility of this allowance for office and comparable
staff. (Adopted) (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
& Pensions) |
$ |
$ |
10.3.2003 |
00
- 02 |
|||||||||||
|
5. |
Resolution seeking approval to reject the Award
given on February 12, 1999 by the Board of Arbitration in CA reference
No. 13 of 1992 in respect of grant of Touring Special Pay to Audit staff
in Indian Audit and Accounts Department. (Adopted) (Ministry of Finance) |
11.03.2003 13.03.2003 |
00
-20 |
12.03.2003 |
00
- 17 |
|||||||||||
|
6. |
Resolution seeking approval to reject the Award
given on October 18, 1999 by the Board of Arbitration in CA reference
No. 1/1998 in respect of the pay scales for the post of Computor in the
Office of Registrar General. (Withdrawn) (Ministry of Home Affairs) |
$ |
$ |
9.05.2003 |
00
-17 |
|||||||||||
|
7. |
Resolution seeking approval to reject the Award
given on October 18, 1999 by the Board of Arbitration in CA reference
No. 1/1998 in respect of the pay scales for the post of Computor in the
Office of Registrar General. (Adopted) (Ministry of Home Affairs) |
$ |
$ |
19.08.2003 |
00
- 03 |
|
||||||||||
|
8. |
Resolution seeking approval of recommendation of
the Eighth Report of the Railway Convention Committee (1999)
appointed to review the rate of dividend payable by the Railway
Undertaking to General Revenues etc. (Adopted) (Ministry of Railways) |
15.12.2003 |
Discussed
along with three Railways Bills. |
17.12.2003 |
00
- 01 |
|
||||||||||
|
MOTIONS
DISCUSSED UNDER RULE 342 IN LOK SABHA AND UNDER RULE
170 IN RAJYA SABHA |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
9. |
Discussion on
the progress of implementation of Part IX and Part IX-A of the
Constitution (dealing with Panchayats and Municipalities as institutions
of self government) during the last ten years (Ministry of Rural
Development & Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation) |
24.7.2003 25.7.2003 |
09
- 12 |
24.7.2003 25.7.2003 |
05
-35 |
|
||||||||||
|
10. |
The National Charter for Children, 2003, (Ministry
of Human Resource
Development) |
$ |
$ |
9.12.2003 10.12.2003 |
06
-03 |
|
||||||||||
|
11. |
Discussion on Science & Technology Policy
(Ministry of Science & Technology) |
$ |
$ |
13.8.2003 |
02-57 |
|
||||||||||
$
Still to be considered
Broad Distribution
of Official Time
4.14
The broad distribution of total official time taken by legislative,
financial and non-financial items (including debates arranged on private
members' motions during the time earnmarked for transaction of official
business) in both Houses of Parliament is as under:
|
Sl. No. |
Item |
Lok Sabha |
Rajya
Sabha |
Percentage |
|||
|
|
Hours |
Minutes |
Hours
|
Minutes |
Lok
Sabha |
Rajya
Sabha |
|
|
(i) |
Legislative |
82 |
57 |
57 |
08 |
27.3% |
26.5% |
|
(ii) |
Financial |
81 |
52 |
71 |
23 |
27% |
33.2% |
|
(iii) |
Non-Financial |
138 |
53 |
86 |
42 |
45.7% |
40.3% |
Time Lost on
Adjournments due to Interruptions etc:
4.15
During the period under report, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were
adjourned on various occasions due to interruptions/disorderly scenes. Time
spent/lost on such adjournments etc. in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during the
period under report is indicated below:
|
LOK SABHA |
|||||||
|
Session |
Actual Total Time |
Time lost on adjournments due to interruptions/disorderly scenes |
Percentage of time on adjournment etc. due to interruptions/disorderly scenes etc. |
||||
|
Hours |
Minutes |
Hours |
Minutes |
|
|||
|
12th (13th Lok Sabha) |
240 |
42 |
05 |
27 |
02.26 |
||
|
13th (13th Lok Sabha) |
113 |
00 |
36 |
20 |
32.15 |
||
|
14th (13th Lok Sabha) |
095 |
04 |
06 |
45 |
07.10 |
||
|
Total
= |
448 |
46 |
48 |
32 |
10.81 |
||
|
RAJYA SABHA |
|||||||
|
Session |
Actual
Total Time |
Time
lost on adjournments due to interruptions/disorderly scenes |
Percentage of
time on adjournment etc. due
to interruptions/disorderly scenes etc. |
||||
|
|
Hours |
Minutes |
Hours |
Minutes |
|||
|
198th |
181 |
21 |
08 |
39 |
02.86 |
||
|
199th |
087 |
04 |
12 |
25 |
14.26 |
||
|
200th |
069 |
41 |
08 |
48 |
07.60 |
||
|
Total= |
338 |
06 |
29 |
52 |
08.83 |
||
Other Non-Official
business
4.16
During the period under report, 30 calling attention notices (24 in
Lok Sabha and 6 in Rajya Sabha) were discussed. In addition, four half-an-hour
discussions were held in Lok Sabha. In Rajya Sabha, no half-an-hour discussion
was admitted.
NUMBER OF SITTINGS OF
PARLIAMENT AND NUMBER OF BILLS PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
(1952 to 2003)
|
Year |
Number of Sittings |
Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament |
Year |
Number of Sittings |
Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament |
||
|
|
Lok
Sabha |
Rajya
Sabha |
|
|
Lok
Sabha |
Rajya
Sabha |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
1952 |
103 |
60 |
82 |
1953 |
137 |
100 |
58 |
|
1954 |
137 |
103 |
54 |
1955 |
139 |
111 |
60 |
|
1956 |
151 |
113 |
106 |
1957 |
104 |
78 |
68 |
|
1958 |
125 |
91 |
59 |
1959 |
123 |
87 |
63 |
|
1960 |
121 |
87 |
67 |
1961 |
102 |
75 |
63 |
|
1962 |
116 |
91 |
68 |
1963 |
122 |
100 |
58 |
|
1964 |
122 |
97 |
56 |
1965 |
113 |
96 |
51 |
|
1966 |
119 |
109 |
57 |
1967 |
110 |
91 |
38 |
|
1968 |
120 |
103 |
67 |
1969 |
120 |
102 |
58 |
|
1970 |
119 |
107 |
53 |
1971 |
102 |
89 |
87 |
|
1972 |
111 |
99 |
82 |
1973 |
120 |
105 |
70 |
|
1974 |
119 |
109 |
68 |
1975 |
63 |
58 |
57 |
|
1976 |
98 |
84 |
118 |
1977 |
86 |
70 |
48 |
|
1978 |
115 |
97 |
50 |
1979 |
66 |
54 |
32 |
|
1980 |
96 |
90 |
72 |
1981 |
105 |
89 |
62 |
|
1982 |
92 |
82 |
73 |
1983 |
93 |
77 |
49 |
|
1984 |
77 |
63 |
73 |
1985 |
109 |
89 |
92 |
|
1986 |
98 |
86 |
71 |
1987 |
102 |
89 |
61 |
|
1988 |
102 |
89 |
71 |
1989 |
83 |
71 |
38 |
|
1990 |
81 |
66 |
30 |
1991 |
90 |
82 |
63 |
|
1992 |
98 |
90 |
44 |
1993 |
89 |
79 |
75 |
|
1994 |
77 |
75 |
61 |
1995 |
78 |
77 |
45 |
|
1996 |
70 |
64 |
36 |
1997 |
65 |
68 |
35 |
|
1998 |
64 |
59 |
40 |
1999 |
51 |
48 |
39 |
|
2000 |
85 |
85 |
63 |
2001 |
81 |
81 |
61 |
|
2002 |
84 |
82 |
86 |
2003 |
74 |
74 |
56 |
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