Budget session ends, GST tops list of 18 Bills passed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 12

The two-phased Budget session of Parliament came to an end today after approval of the landmark Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and passage of the Budget.

Union Minister Ananth Kumar said it had been one of the most productive sessions in its history and 18 Bills were passed by both Houses during the session.

The productivity of the Lok Sabha was 114 per cent while that of the Rajya Sabha was 92 per cent. A total of 24 bills were introduced during the session. Of these, the Lok Sabha passed 23 Bills, while the Rajya Sabha passed 14. A total of 18 Bills were passed by both Houses.

The session was advanced to have a Budget presentation on February 1 instead of the usual February 28. The government wanted to complete the budgetary exercise before the end of March. For the first time in 92 years, the Railway Budget was merged with the General Budget.

The session saw all parties coming together in both Houses over the death sentence awarded to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by a Pakistani military court on the charges of spying.

Altogether, there were 29 sittings, with the Lok Sabha working for 176 hours and 39 minutes and the Rajya Sabha for over 136 hours.

The Lok Sabha lost eight hours and 12 minutes due to disruptions while the Upper House lost 13 hours because of furore over various issues. In the Lok Sabha, the lost time was covered as the House functioned for an additional 28 hours while the Rajya Sabha sat late for more than six-and-a-half hours to make up for the lost time.

Both Houses passed the GST Bill, which is seen as a major tax reform that would bring India under a uniform indirect tax regime.

The Lok Sabha also passed the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Bill, 2017, Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Enemy Property Bill, Mental Healthcare Bill, Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016, HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2017 and 123rd Constitution Amendment Bill (to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes).

“Of the 560 starred questions, more than 136 were given oral answers, which comes to around 4.68 questions per day. Some 494 issues were raised under Rule 377 and 158 Private members Bills were introduced in the House,” Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said in her valedictory remarks.

The Rajya Sabha passed or returned 14 Bills. However, the Bill to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes, which was passed by the Lok Sabha, could not go through the Rajya Sabha as the Opposition resisted it, after which it was sent to a select committee.

The role of Governors regarding formation of governments in Goa and Manipur was questioned in the Rajya Sabha. House proceedings were also stalled over allegations of tampering of EVMs.

In his valedictory remarks, Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari pointed to the role of some members in asking maximum number of questions.