Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Laments Steep Fall In Productivity Of Rajya Sabha

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday (26 November) expressed concern over the falling productivity in the Upper House of the Parliament.

While speaking on the occasion of 'Constitution Day' in the Central Hall of Parliament, Naidu informed that the productivity of Rajya Sabha has hit the lowest ever of 35.75 per cent during 2018, a year before the last General Elections and further slipped to 29.60 per cent during the last session.

He further said that while the annual productivity of Rajya Sabha has been over 100 per cent for 16 years from 1979 to 1994, it has been so only twice in 1998 and 2009 during the next 26 years.

Arguing that in a democracy, people’s will is conveyed as the mandate to the governments of the day, Vice President Naidu stressed that tolerance towards the mandate of the people is the "guiding spirit for the legislatures”.

Naidu also said that with the Constitution of India requiring the country to be a democratic republic, legislatures of the country should be guided by 'dialogue and debate' and should not be rendered dysfunctional through persistent disruptions.