STATISTICAL INFORMATION (213TH SESSION)

The 213th Session (Budget Session) commenced on Monday, the 25th February, 2008. The Session, though scheduled to close on the 9th May comes to an end today, the 6th May, 2008. There were thus 30 sittings of the House during the Session.

The House sat for more than 140 hours. During the Session, more than 27 hours were lost. The house, however, made up this loss by skipping lunch recess and sitting late for more than 35 Hours to complete legislative and other important business.

Seven Ministers, of State who were inducted into the Union Council of Minisers were introduced to the House by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The House bade farewell to the members of Rajya Sabha whose term of office expired/would be expiring during this year.

Fifty-six newly elected/re-elected Members joined the House during the Session and they were welcomed. The House congratulated the Indian Cricket Team for winning the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia and the Under-19 Indian Cricket Team for winning the Under-19 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.

During the Session, the House condoled the death of Shri Motiur Rahman and Kumari Nirmala Deshpande, sitting members, Shri Murlidhar Devidas alias Baba Amte, Sir Edmund Hillary, Pandit Kishan Maharaj and eleven former Members of the Rajya Sabha. The House expressed its sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families of thousands of people killed in a cyclone in Myanmar. The House adjourned on the 25th February and 5th May, 2008 as a mark of respect to he memory of Shri Motiur Rahman and Kumari Nirmala Deshpande respectively.

There were six suo motu Statements by Ministers which were either made or laid. Thirty-three statements were made/laid in pursuance of the Diection of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, dated 24-9-2004 on the status of implementation of the recommendations contained in the Reports of various DRPS Committees.

The President addressed both the houses of Parliament assembled together on the 25th February, 2008. The discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address had taken place for four days and lasted for more than sixteen hours.

The Railway and General Budgets for the year 2008- 09 were laid on the Table of the House on the 26th and 29th February, 2008, respectively. The Karnataka Budget for the year 2008-09 was also laid on the Table of the house on the 10th march, 2008. The outcome Budgets of various Ministries were also laid on the Table of the house during the Session.

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The discussion on the Railway Budget was spread over three days and lasted for more than twelve and half hours. The discussion on the General Budget was also spread over three days and lasted for about fourteen hours. The Karnataka Budget along with relevant Appropriation Bills was also discussed in the house.

Working of the ministries of Rural Development, Labour and Employment, Agriculture and Commerce & Industries were discussed in the House. The discussion on the Ministry of Human Resource Development remained inconclusive.

Issues pertaining to attacks on North Indians in various parts of Maharshtra; and price rise of commodities in the country were discussed at length for more than twelve hours in the form of Short Duration Discussions.

The issue pertaining to “Foreign Policy-related Development” which was the subject matter of a Statement made by Minister of External affairs was discussed at length in the House. The Leader of opposition initiated the discussion and nine members participated in the debate which spread over for 3 hours and 20 minutes.

There were about 127 Special mentions on Matters of Public Importance.

References to he victims of bus accidents in Vadodara district of Gujarat and successful launch of PSLV-C9 were made from the Chair.

Four Government Bills were introduced including the Constitution(108) Amendment Bill, 208 and 20 Government Bills were passed/returned during the Session. The maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, the Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, the C-General and Railway appropriation Bills, the Constitution (Schedule Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation (Amendment) Bill, the Representation of the People (amendment) Bill, the Prasar Bharti (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Bill, the Sugar Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, the Jawaharlal Institute Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, Bill, the Central Universities Laws (amendment)Bill, the appropriation (No.2) Bill; and the Finance Bill, were some of the notable Bills which the House passed during the Session. One Bill, namely, the University Grant Commission (Amendment) Bill, 1995 was withdrawn with the leave of the House.

The issues regarding (a) need to tackle the increasing naxal activities in the country, (b) need to increase the indigenous production of crude oil, LPG and other petroleum products in the country wee also discussed through Private members’ Resolutions.

During the Session, 187 Reports/Statements of various Parliamentary Committees including those of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees were presented or laid on the Table of the House. - 3 -

Public Enterprises Survey, 2006-07; Economic Survey, 2007-08; Consolidated Report on the Working of the Public Sector Banks (PSBSs) for the year ended 31st March, 2007; National Mineral Policy; Foreign Trade Policy, 2004-09; and Mid-year review of Central Public Sector Enterprises were few important papers that were laid on the Table of the house during the Session.

About hundred matters were raised with the permission by members during the Session.

The Chair announced the decision arrived at Leader’s meeting about the three minute rule for raising matters with permission of Hon’ble Chairman.

Two Statutory Resolutions were adopted during the Session in respect of President’s Rule in the State of Nagaland and Karnataka.

During the session, 580 Stared Questions and 4303 Unstarred Questions were admitted and answered. Of these 98 Starred Questions were orally answered.

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