Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die, second-shortest monsoon session so far

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, leading to the closure of the Monsoon session, which was scheduled to go on till October 1, over COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs, V Muraleedharan read out the recommendation for the adjournment of the house.

“We are concluding the 252nd session of the Rajya Sabha today, this session has been marked by several novel features induced by the outbreak of coronavirus at the beginning of this year. We have to conclude this session eight sittings ahead, eighteen sittings had been planned we have completed 10,” Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said.

“This August House had to function from six different locations, including chambers of both the houses, four galleries of the house, the first of its kind in the history of Rajya Sabha. In another first, we functioned on Saturday and Sunday of the last week, without taking the usual break,” he added.

Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die. #MonsoonSession, that was scheduled to go on till October 1st, cut short in the wake of #COVID19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/lctP7RjN92

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2020

The Chairman said he was grateful that the MPs had adjusted themselves to the unique demands needed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In these 10 sittings a total of 25 Bills have been passed and six Bills have been introduced. The productivity of the House during this session has been 104.7 per cent,” Naidu said.

The actual functional time of the house has been 38 hours and 41 minutes, as compared to the scheduled available time of 38 hours and 30 minutes, he added. The Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman also raised the issue of the ruckus created by the Opposition over the farm Bills and urged all to think deeply over the issue.

“Though the session has been satisfying in terms of productivity there have been some areas of concern as well. We need to collectively ponder over the issues for making a difference in future. For the first time in the history of this house, a notice for removal of Deputy Chairman had been given, it had to be rejected for reasons I had already given. The developments surrounding this unprecedented move have been deeply painful for all those who hold the stature and dignity of this August House to their hearts,” Naidu said.

The Rajya Sabha, earlier today passed three labour related Bills, Jammu and Kashmir languages Bill, the Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill, 2020 and the FCRA Amendment Bill by voice votes following discussions.

The Congress and other parties had boycotted the proceedings of the House on Tuesday following the suspension of eight MPs and the demand to revoke the farm Bills.

Opposition leaders staged a walk-out from the Rajya Sabha and held a protest before the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises. Congress and other parties had also boycotted the proceedings of the Lower House yesterday over the government “not agreeing” to Opposition suggestions on the agriculture Bills.

Eight Opposition MPs were suspended by the Rajya Sabha Chairman on Monday over the ruckus and the unruly scenes in the House on Sunday.

While the Opposition members have expressed reservations over the manner, in which the agriculture Bills were passed, the government and the BJP leaders have accused them of not following the directions of the Chair.