Casualties Of Parliament Disruptions: MPs Losing Out On Opportunities In Question Hour, Zero Hour
Out of 210 Zero Hour submissions made by MPs in the Rajya Sabha this monsoon session, only 5 could be taken up
For young MPs and old, Question Hour and Zero Hour are critical to raise questions that concern the people of their constituency or state.
While Question Hour from 11 am to noon in both houses gives them a chance to get a minister to respond to their questions, the Zero Hour immediately thereafter gives them a chance to raise 'Issues of Urgent Public Importance". Many MPs even have to wait a year or more to get a chance in the Zero Hour.
But when Parliament does not function normally, as has been the case in the monsoon session so far, Question Hour and Zero Hour are the first casualties of disruptions. Out of 210 Zero Hour submissions made by MPs in the Rajya Sabha this session, only five could be taken up. Out of 210 starred questions listed in Question Hour, just 14 could be taken up.
Many MPs, both from the ruling NDA and the opposition, that CNN-News18 spoke with over the last few days, rued how they had lost out on a chance to raise critical questions in Parliament, which remained in limbo except for the 32-hour discussion on Operation Sindoor.
A 'matter of time'
But, due to continued disruptions, the Rajya Sabha was able to take up only 14 starred questions, 5 Zero Hour submissions and 17 special mentions. 'Because of the disruptions, we have lost 62 hours and 25 minutes of this session," the Chair noted on Monday.
Speaker and deputy chairman's pleas
On August 8, as soon as Question Hour began in Lok Sabha, it was rocked by disruptions from the opposition on the special intensive revision (SIR) issue. Speaker Om Birla pleaded to the house: 'Honourable members, I am requesting you again that Question Hour is an important time. Please let the house sit. Your sloganeering is not in accordance with parliamentary traditions. The people of the country are watching this. I am requesting you again, this Question Hour is important."
On August 11, the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh, also appealed to the members to let the Zero Hour function. 'I would request you to let Zero Hour run…allow honourable members to avail Zero Hour and Question Hour. You know that both of these are very important instruments for honourable members. These are very important instruments. You don't want these to be discussed?" he said, before adjourning the house.
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