Current budget session of Parliament which is also the maiden one for 17th LS is drawing an extra attention due to various factors. It is already under discussion due to its marathon run because of  the extension of duration till  August 7 and passage of a record number of Bills, including many that  had drawn wide reprimand from the opposition. Now, as many as seventeen opposition parties had written to the RS Chairman on Friday  pointing out that there has been a gross departure from the established practice of customary scrutiny that precedes the passage of any Bill  in the parliament. As of now, 14 bills have already been passed in this session, with 11 more in the offing. With such a backdrop, it will thus be interesting to see whether there will be a return of the ‘tradition’ in the remaining days of this session and the coming  sessions or there will be a continuation of this new trend of ‘hurried’  passage of  legislations without any sort of scrutiny.
Of the 14 Bills that had been passed, none of  them  had  been referred to a Standing Committee or Select Committee for legislative scrutiny, which are  the usual platforms for public consultation involving  relooks and related activities that contributes to the improvement of the content and quality of legislations. As per records, in 14th LS, 60 % of Bills were sent for scrutiny to Parliamentary Committees, in 15th it was  71 %, but dropped to 26 % in the last LS. This is where the opposition has conveyed their apprehension and has viewed it as a deliberate attempt to choke their channels of opinion sharing which they otherwise enjoy by being a part  of these committees. And  the roles these Committees play in sustaining the richness of the Parliament, which is the ultimate reflection of the people’s will, can’t be overlooked and will always be relevant  due to the practical necessities itself. With a  huge volume of legislative business, it is practically  impossible to  discuss all Bills in detail on the floor and  it is at this juncture  the Committees  come to the rescue.  As a small group of MPs they  conduct  in-depth  and informed  discussion on a proposed law and offer suggestions that go a long way in plugging the possible lacunae, thereby adding to the efficacy of the legislation on the long run.
Although as per current rules it is not required to refer every Bill to a Parliamentary Committee which may apparently allow for  greater speed in passage of more legislations within the earmark ed session tenure, it is expected  from the highest law-making body of the land  that quality of the legislations  should not be compromised in the process.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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