RS reports 90 pc productivity in first week of Session

NEW DELHI: In the first week of Parliament’s Winter Session, the Rajya Sabha reported productivity of more than 90 per cent, its secretariat said on Saturday.

This is the 250th session of the Upper House. Based on the discussions that Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had with leaders of various parties, the Rajya Sabha is likely to discuss the state of the economy and the Pegasus spyware issue next week, according to the statement.

The House has availed 25 hours and 54 minutes of the available time of 28 hours and 37 minutes during the first five working days, it said.

Two hours and 43 minutes were lost due to forced adjournments for some time on two days, the statement said.

“Continuing with the spirit of the highly productive last monsoon session, the Rajya Sabha has reported productivity of 90.50 per cent during the first week of the ongoing Winter Session which is the landmark 250th session of the Upper House,” the Rajya Sabha secretariat said.

The House discussed the issue of pollution for three hours under a calling attention notice admitted by the chairman, it said. This is the longest such discussion in the last 43 sessions and after 13 years, according to the statement.

Besides passing the Jalianwala Bagh Memorial National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019, 27 starred questions were orally answered and 33 ‘Zero Hour’ submissions and 22 ‘Special Mentions’ were made during the first week of the session The Winter Session of Parliament started on November 18 and is scheduled to conclude on December 13.

THE HOUSE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF POLLUTION FOR THREE HOURS UNDER A CALLING ATTENTION NOTICE ADMITTED BY THE CHAIRMAN