Winter session of Parliament ends early

New Delhi: The Winter session of Parliament concluded on Friday, six days ahead of schedule, with opposition members forcing repeated adjournments in the final days over their demand for a discussion on the border issue with China.

In his valedictory address, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the productivity of the House was 97 per cent during the 13 sittings which saw passage of seven bills, including the supplementary demands for grants and the Maritime Anti-Piracy Bill. The session began on December 7 and was originally scheduled to end on December 29. However, members requested the government and the presiding officers of both the House to end the proceedings early citing the festive season and New Year celebrations ahead.

In both the Houses, opposition members pressed for discussion on the border issue with China, which was turned down by presiding officers. Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in "minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides", according to the Indian Army Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in both Houses of Parliament on the attempts by China's Peoples' Liberation Army to unilaterally change the status quo at the Line of Actual Control in the Yangtse region of Arunachal Pradesh.

In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the productivity of the House was 102 per cent. The House held 13 sittings totalling 64 hours 50 minutes. This was Dhankhar's first session as chairman of the Rajya Sabha, after his election as vice president on August 10.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Piyush Goyal were among those present on the last day of the session.

During the session, Rajya Sabha passed The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, three bills relating to The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment), The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, The Maritime Anti-Piracy (Amendments) Bills. Lok Sabha passed four bills relating to The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) and the Maritime Anti-Piracy Bill.

The Rajya Sabha chairman also took a dim view of the disruptions by the opposition in the House, saying it led to loss of precious time of one hour and 46 minutes and exhibition of unacceptable conduct, which plagued the proceedings in some measure. "Disruption as an expression mechanism is antithetical to grace, decorum and sublimity of this solemn platform. The fall out is invariably negative as it generates disillusionment, disappointment, helplessness and hopelessness in the people," Dhankhar said.