Lok Sabha lost 65 hours due to adjournments, disruptions during Winter Session

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha experienced massive disruptions during the Winter Session of Parliament, losing 65 hours in the third session alone and over 70 hours cumulatively across all three sessions. The session, which began on November 25, concluded abruptly earlier today after being declared sine die amidst continued protests by Opposition MPs over a scuffle that erupted on December 19.
According to official data, the Lok Sabha faced significant disruptions during the Winter Session of Parliament, losing a total of 5 hours and 37 minutes in the first session, 1 hour and 53 minutes in the second session, and a staggering 65 hours and 15 minutes in the concluding session.
The first session was marred by the NDA and the Congress taking jabs at each other over the former’s association with business tycoon Gautam Adani and the latter’s association with billionaire George Soros.
In terms of debates, the Lower House recorded 34.16 hours of discussion during the first session, which increased to an impressive 115.21 hours in the second session. However, this figure plummeted to just 62 hours in the third session, reflecting the impact of mounting disruptions.
The session comprised seven sittings in the first phase, 15 in the second, and 20 in the third. Despite the challenges, MPs demonstrated a commitment to addressing pending agendas, often extending sittings to complete listed business.
In the first session, MPs worked late for a total of seven hours, while in the second session, they clocked in an additional 33 hours. During the turbulent third session, the House extended proceedings by 21.7 hours in an effort to recover lost time.
No Bills were introduced by the government in the first session. The government introduced 12 Bills in the second session, of which four were passed in the Lok Sabha. In the third session, the government introduced five Bills of which four were cleared.
The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2024 were introduced in the third session of the Lok Sabha.
The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2024 were passed.
In the third session, 397 matters were raised under Rule 377, while 358 and 41 matters were raised in the second and first sessions, respectively.
Rule 377 stipulates that a member who wishes to bring to the notice of the House a matter which is not a point of order, shall give notice in writing to the Secretary-General specifying clearly and precisely the text of the matter to be raised.
The member may be permitted to raise it only after the Speaker has given the consent and at such time and date as the Speaker may fix