"Bharat making phenomenal progress in all walks of life": RS chairman Dhankhar

New Delhi [India], February 10 : Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, in his valedictory remarks ahead of the conclusion of the budget session, highlighted that the country is making phenomenal progress in all walks of life.
This was the last day of the budget session, which was also the last session of the 17th Lok Sabha before the general polls.
"As highlighted by the Hon'ble President in her address, Bharat is making phenomenal progress in all walks of life. We are in Amrit Kaal of our Republic. As members of the Upper House, we have to ensure exemplary standards of conduct. We need to be a source of inspiration as Bharat steadfastly surges towards a Viksit Rashtra and a global leader. We are in an era of immense possibilities. Let us vigorously contribute to the continual, incremental rise of Bharat. I have no doubt that this sentiment is shared by every member of this House and the people at large," Dhankhar said.
The RS Chairman further emphasized that the overall productivity during the session stood at an impressive figure of 137 per cent.
"In this short but important session, the House sat for 9 days, dealing with 116 issues of public importance and answering 90 starred and 960 unstarred questions. Overall productivity during the session stood at an impressive figure of 137 percent," he said.
Speaking on the bills that received a nod from the House during the budget session, he stated, "It is noteworthy that during this session, Hon'ble Members spoke in 15 regional languages with simultaneous interpretation in Hindi and English. In addition to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address and interim Union Budget, this House also passed seven bills, including the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill and Constitution Amendment Bills related to the inclusion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. I would also like to mention that 22 private members' bills have been introduced in this session."
The RS Chairman also expressed gratitude to the retiring members of the House.
"Hon'ble Members, the House also bade farewell to 68 Members. Out of this, three members retired in January and the remaining 65 would be retiring between February and July this year. Let me express our profound appreciation for the distinguished service rendered by each one of our esteemed retiring colleagues," he said.
A total of 58 Rajya Sabha members, including eight Central Ministers, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national President JP Nadda, are set to retire this year.
Meanwhile, Jagdeep Dhankhar further said, "I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Hon'ble Deputy Chairperson, Shri Harivansh Ji and Members on the Panel of Vice-Chairpersons for assisting me in conducting the proceedings of the House. I also thank the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Leaders of various Parties and the Hon'ble Members for their cooperation."
Dhankhar also extended greetings to all members ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
"I acknowledge the untiring efforts of the Secretary-General and his team of dedicated officers and staff in ensuring that the Session runs smoothly. Before I conclude, I would like to extend my good wishes to all of you for the forthcoming festivals and for the General Election," he said.
The Lok Sabha polls are slated to be held in April-May this year.