House that! Eight bills in 17 minutes

Anil Anand
Thursday, December 25, 2008 01:42 IST


NEW DELHI: The two houses of parliament were adjourned sine die on Tuesday after an eventful fortnight-long session that led to repeated clashes between the treasury and opposition benches on a variety of issues. Despite pandemonium, the two houses were able to discharge legislative business of significance.
Certain significant bills were passed during the session that included important legislations to set up a national investigative agency to probe terror-related cases and unlawful activities (amendment) bill to give legal backing to the agency.

A record of sorts was created on the final day of the session with the introduction of eight bills in just 17 minutes in Lok Sabha. Most of these bills were passed in the din created by the NDA and the Left grouping MPs. While the BJP-led NDA was agitating over the statement issued by minority affairs minister AR Antulay, the Left MPs were agitated on the manner in which the government tried to push through the bills.

Sensing further trouble on the Antulay issue, the government saw to it that important legislative business was completed before the House was adjourned sine die. It has also become imperative for the government to complete the legislative business, as the next session, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, will be brief with the sole agenda of passing a vote-on-account. more