Budget Session 2018 Of Parliament Concludes

The Budget Session, 2018 of Parliament which commenced on Monday, 29^th January, 2018 has been adjourned sine die today i.e. Friday, the 6^th April, 2018. In between both parts of the session, both Houses also adjourned for recess for a period of 23 days on Friday, the 9^th February, 2018 to reassemble on Monday, the 5^th March, 2018 to enable Departmentally related Standing Committees to examine and report on the Demands for Grants relating to various Ministries/Departments.

Addressing the media here today, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Ananthkumar, along with Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Statistics & Programme Implementation, Shri Vijay Goel and Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, informed that the first part of the Budget Session yielded a total of 7 sittings of Lok Sabha and 8 sittings of the Rajya Sabha.  In the second part of the Session there were 22 sittings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.  During the entire Budget Session, 2018 there were in total 29 sittings in Lok Sabha and 30 sittings of Rajya Sabha.

Shri Ananthkumar also informed that during this Session a total of 5 Bills (5 in Lok Sabha) were introduced. 5 Bills were passed by Lok Sabha and 1Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha. Total number of Bills passed/deemed to have been passed by both Houses of Parliament is 4. A list of Bills introduced in Lok Sabha, Bills passed by Lok Sabha, Bill(s) passed by Rajya Sabha, Bills passed/deemed to have been passed by both Houses are attached in the end.

The productivity of Lok Sabha was approx. 134% and that of Rajya Sabha was approx. 96% during the first part. During the second part of the Budget Session, 2018, the productivity of Lok Sabha was approx. 4% and that of Rajya Sabha was 8%.  The productivity of for the complete Budget Session, 2018 of Lok Sabha was 23% and that of Rajya Sabha was 28%, Shri Ananthkumar added.

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 29^th January, 2018. Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha was moved by by Shri Rakesh Singh and seconded by Shri Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi.  This item engaged the Lok Sabha for 10 Hrs 43 minutes against allotted 10 Hours.   In Rajya Sabha, it was moved by Shri Amit Shah and seconded by Dr.Vinay P. Sahasrabuddhe. This item engaged the Rajya Sabha for 12 Hrs 45minutes against allotted 12 Hours.   Motions of Thanks were discussed and adopted by the two Houses during the first part of the Session.

The Session, being the Budget Session was mainly devoted to transaction of Financial Business.   During the first part of Session, the Union Budget for 2018-19 was presented on Thursday, the 1^stFebruary, 2018. General Discussion on the Union Budget was held in both Houses.  This engaged the Lok Sabha for 12 Hours 13 minutes against allotted 12 Hours and Rajya Sabha for 9 Hours 35 minutes against allotted 12 Hours.

During the second part of the Session all the Department related Standing Committees presented their report on their concerned Demands for Grants.  The Demands for Grants of the Ministries/Departments were put to the vote of the House and were voted in full on Wednesday, the 14^th March, 2018 by the Lok Sabha. The related Appropriation Bill was also introduced, considered and passed. The Finance Bill, 2018 was passed by Lok Sabha on 14.03.2018. Appropriation Bill relating to Fourth Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2017-18 was also introduced, considered and passed on the same day.  As the Appropriation Bills and Finance Bill were not returned by Rajya Sabha within 14 days of their receipt in Rajya Sabha, the same were deemed to have been passed by the Houses of Parliament on expiry of 28.3.2018.  As such the entire Financial Business was completed before 31^st March, 2018 after assent of Appropriation and Finance Bills by the President on 29.3.2018.

Legislative Business transacted during the 14^th session of 16^thLok Sabha and 245^th Session of Rajya Sabha (Budget Session, 2018)

I – BILLS INTRODUCED IN LOK SABHA

1. The Finance Bill, 2018
2. The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2018
3. The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2018
4. The Chit Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2018
5. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018

II –  BILLS PASSED BY LOK SABHA

1. The Finance Bill, 2018
2. The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2018
3. The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2018
4. The Payments of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2018
5. The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2018

III – BILL PASSED BY RAJYA SABHA

1. The Payments of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2018

IV – BILLS PASSED/DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

1. #The Finance Bill, 2018
2. #The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2018
3. #The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2018
4. The Payments of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2018

#Were deemed to have been passed by the Houses on Parliament on expiry 14 days from receipt of Bill, as passed by Lok Sabha in Rajya Sabha under clause (5) of article 109 of the Constitution on 29.03.2018.