Budget Session of Parliament: The Budget Session, 2023 of Parliament which commenced on Tuesday, 31st of January, 2023 has been adjourned sine die today i.e. Thursday, the 6th of April, 2023. Speaking about the Budget Session, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that the Budget Session 2023 provided a total of 25 sittings. In between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were adjourned for recess from 13th of February, 2023 to 12th of March and reassembled on Monday, the 13th of March, 2023 to enable Departmentally related Standing Committees to examine and report on the Demands for Grants relating to various Ministries/Departments.
The Minister while addressing a Press Conference in the Parliament premises said, the first part of the Budget Session yielded a total of 10 sittings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In the second part of the Session, there were 15 sittings of both Houses. During the entire Budget Session, in total, there were 25 sittings.
This being the first Session of the year, the President addressed both Houses of Parliament assembled together in terms of Article 87(1) of the Constitution, on 31st of January, 2023. Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha was moved by Shri Chandra Prakash Joshi and seconded by Dr. Uday Pratap Singh. This item engaged the Lok Sabha for 13 Hours 44 minutes against allotted time of 12 Hours. In Rajya Sabha it was moved by Dr. K. Laxman and seconded by Shri Prakash Javadekar.
This item engaged the Rajya Sabha for 12 Hours 42 minutes against allotted time of 12 Hours. The Motions of Thanks were discussed and adopted after reply from Hon’ble Prime Minister by both the Houses during first part of the Session. 143 Members in Lok Sabha and 48 Members in Rajya Sabha participated in the discussion on the subject.
The Union Budget for 2023- 24 was presented on Wednesday, the 1st of February, 2023. General Discussion on the Union Budget was held in both Houses in the first part of the Session. This engaged the Lok Sabha for 14 Hours 45 minutes against allotted time of 12 Hours and Rajya Sabha for 2 Hours 21 minute against allotted time of 12 Hours. 145 Members in Lok Sabha and 12 Members in Rajya Sabha participated in the discussion on the subject, said the Minister.
Demands for Grants of individual Ministries e.g., Railways, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Tribal Affairs, Tourism, Culture and Health & Family Welfare could not be taken up due to continuous disruptions in Lok Sabha.
In the end the Demands for Grants of the Ministries/ Departments were put to the Vote of the House on Thursday, the 23rd of March, 2023. The related Appropriation Bill was also introduced, considered and passed by Lok Sabha on 23.03.2023 itself. Appropriation Bills relating to Second and Final Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2022-23; Demands for Grants for the year 2023-24 and Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2022-23 in respect of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after their adoption were also introduced, considered and passed on 21.03.2023 in Lok Sabha. The Finance Bill, 2023 was passed by Lok Sabha on 24.03.2023.
In the Rajya Sabha the working of the Ministries of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Textiles, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rural Development, Cooperation, Railways and New and Renewable Energy could not be discussed due to continuous disruptions in the House.
The Rajya Sabha returned the Appropriation Bills related to Demands for Grants for the year 2023-24 and Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2022-23 in respect of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir; Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2022-23 and Demands for Grants for the year 2023-24 in respect of the Union on 27.03.2023. The Finance Bill, 2023 was also returned by Rajya Sabha with a recommendation for an amendment given by the Government on 27.03.2023, which was agreed to by Lok Sabha on 27.03.2023 itself. As such the entire Financial Business was completed in the Houses of Parliament before 31st of March, 2023.
One Bill namely “the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023” to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, which envisages to remove ambiguity in the applicability of the provisions of said Act, promote plantation in non-forest areas and conserve the forests was referred to the Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament after motions to this effect were adopted in the both Houses after its introduction in Lok Sabha.
The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which provides for augmentation of Competition regulation in India, was also passed by both Houses of Parliament during this Session.
During this Session a total of 8 Bills (8 in Lok Sabha) were introduced. 6 Bills were passed by Lok Sabha and 6 Bills were passed/returned by Rajya Sabha. Total number of Bills passed/returned by both Houses of Parliament is also 6.
The productivity of Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, 2023 was approx. 34 % and that of Rajya Sabha was approx. 24%.
