By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: The Budget Session, 2022 of Parliament, which commenced on, 31 January2022, has been adjourned sine die today i.e. Thursday.Speaking about the Budget Session here today, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi stated that during the entire Budget Session, 2022 there were 27 sittings of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The Minister underlined that the Session, which was originally scheduled to have sittings till 8 April, 2022, was curtailed due to demand of Leaders of various political parties. The Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Culture Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & External Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan were also present in the press conference.
The Budget Session, 2022 of Parliament which commenced on Monday, 31st January, 2022 has been adjourned sine die today i.e. Thursday, the 7th April, 2022. In between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha adjourned for recess on Friday, the 11th February, 2022 to reassemble on Monday, the 14th March, 2022 to enable Departmentally related Standing Committees to examine and report on the Demands for Grants relating to various Ministries/Departments.
The first part of the Budget Session yielded a total of 10 sittings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In the second part of the Session, there were 17 sittings of both Houses.
During the first part of the Session, keeping in mind Covid situation Lok Sabha has used Lok Sabha Chamber, Lok Sabha Public Gallery, Rajya Sabha Chamber and Rajya Sabha Public Gallery for its sittings while Rajya Sabha has used Rajya Sabha Chamber, Rajya Sabha Public Gallery and Lok Sabha Chamber for its sittings. Lok Sabha sat from 4 pm to 9 pm (with extended time, whenever required) daily except on 31.01.2022 and 1.02.2022 when they sat first. Rajya Sabha had its meetings from 9 am to 3 pm (with extended time, whenever required) daily except on 31.01.2022 and 1.02.2022 when they sat second. In the second part of the Session, the timing of the Houses was reverted back to the normal hours ie. from 11am to 6 pm (with extended time, whenever required) following all protocols.
This being the first Session of the year, the President addressed both Houses of Parliament assembled together in terms of Article 87(1) of the Constitution, on 31st January, 2022. Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha was moved by Shri Harish Dwivedi and seconded by Shri Kamlesh Paswan. This item engaged the Lok Sabha for 15 Hours 13 minutes against allotted 12 Hours. In Rajya Sabha it was moved by Shrimati Geeta alias Chandraprabha and seconded by Shri Shwait Malik. This item engaged the Rajya Sabha for 12 Hours 56 minutes against allotted 12 Hours. The Motions of Thanks were discussed and adopted after reply from the Hon’ble Prime Minister by the two Houses during the first part of the Session.
The Union Budget for 2022- 23 was presented on Tuesday, the 1st of February, 2022. General Discussion on the Union Budget was held in both Houses in the first part of the Session. This engaged the Lok Sabha for 15 Hours 35 minutes against allotted 12 Hours and Rajya Sabha for 11 Hours 01 minute against allotted 11 Hours.
During the second part, in Lok Sabha, Demands for Grants relating to Ministries of Railways, Road Transport and Highways, Civil Aviation, Commerce and Industry and Ports, Shipping and Waterways were discussed and adopted individually. Thereafter rest of the Demands for Grants of the Ministries/ Departments were put to the vote of the House on Thursday, the 24th March, 2022. The related Appropriation Bill was also introduced, considered and passed by Lok Sabha on 24.03.2022 itself. Appropriation Bills relating to Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2021-22; Demands of Excess Grants for 2018-19; Demands for Grants for the year 2022-23 and Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2021-22 in respect of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after their adoption were also introduced, considered and passed on 14.03.2022 in Lok Sabha. The Finance Bill, 2022 was passed by Lok Sabha on 25.03.2022.
In the Rajya Sabha the working of the Ministries of Development of North Eastern Region, Tribal Affairs, Railways and Labour and Employment were discussed. The discussion of the working of Ministry of Labour and Employment, however, remained inconclusive. The Rajya Sabha returned the Appropriation Bills related to Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2021-22 and Demands of Excess Grants for 2018-19 on 21.03.2022 and Demands for Grants for the year 2022-23 and Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2021-22 in respect of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on 23.03.2022. The Finance Bill, 2022 and the Appropriation Bill, 2022 were returned on 29.03.2022. As such the entire Financial Business was completed in the Houses of Parliament before 31st March, 2022.
During this Session a total of 13 Bills (12 in Lok Sabha and 01 in Rajya Sabha) were introduced. 13 Bills were passed by Lok Sabha and 11 Bills were passed by Rajya Sabha. Total number of Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament is 11. Some of the major Bills passed by both Houses during the Session are as under :-
The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, to authorise for taking measurements of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters and to preserve records and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to (i) unify the three municipal corporations into a single, integrated and well equipped entity; (ii) ensure a robust mechanism for synergised and strategic planning and optimal utilisation of resources; (iii) bring about greater transparency, improved governance and more efficient delivery of civic service for the people of Delhi.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to amend Part XV.—Tripura of the Schedule to the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to insert “Darlong” community as a sub-tribe of “Kuki” after sub-tribe “(iii) Chhalya” in entry 9 in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to omit Bhogta community from the list of Scheduled Castes in relation to the State of Jharkhand and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 for inclusion of certain communities in the lists of Scheduled Tribes in relation to the State of Jharkhand.
Further, the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 was also passed by Lok Sabha which seeks to— (a) prohibit financing of any activity in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems; (b) empower the Central Government to— (i) freeze, seize or attach funds or other financial assets or economic resources for preventing such financing; (ii) prohibit making available funds, financial assets or economic resources for any prohibited activity in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
3 Short Duration Discussions under Rule 193 were held in Lok Sabha. First on climate change which was initiated on 8th December, 2021, second on need to promote sports in India and steps taken by the Government (remained inconclusive) and third on situation in Ukraine.The productivity of Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, 2022 was approx. 129% and that of Rajya Sabha was 98%.
