Eighth Rajya Sabha parliamentary standing panels show improved performance in 2020-21
Dec 31, 2021
New Delhi [India], December 31 : A review report has found that eight department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees, whose chairman are appointed by the Rajya Sabha chairman, have improved their performance from September 2020 to September 2021 in terms of meetings and attendance of members compared to 2017-18.
Sources said the latest review report of the performance of these eight committees revealed that while only two committees - Transport, Tourism & Culture and Health Family Welfare - reported an average duration of over two hours per meeting in 2017-18. Six Committees i.e. Transport, Health, Education, Home Affairs, Science & Technology, and Commerce met for over two hours per meeting during 2020-21.
While no committee has reported attendance of 50 per cent in 2017-18, three Committees on Transport, Education and Law & Justice have reported attendance of more than 50 per cent during 2020-21 with six of the eight Committees improving average attendance in the meetings during this period, said the report.
The sources said that since assuming office in August 2017, Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaih Naidu has been regularly monitoring and reviewing the performance of these eight committees given their importance. He convened a meeting with the chairmen of all eight committees after the first review and has been writing regularly on the functioning of these committees and has urged them to improve the performance.
While 2021 ended on a low note for Rajya Sabha "with the second-lowest productivity ever", its eight department-related parliamentary standing committees (DRSCs) have reported the best performance, the sources said.
They said 59 per cent annual productivity during 2021 has been the second lowest for Rajya Sabha after the House "hit the nadir with the productivity of 36 per cent during 2018". Issues relating to the three farm bills and suspension of 12 members of the House adversely impacted the functioning of the House during the monsoon and winter sessions this year.
In contrast, the eight DRSCs of Rajya Sabha have "significantly improved their performance from September 2020 to September 2021 in terms of meetings and attendance of its members compared to 2017-18," the sources said.
For the 134 meetings held by the eight Committees during 2017-18, the average duration of each meeting had been 1 hour 51 minutes while the average attendance was 44.87 per cent. The same for the 126 meetings held during 2020-21 has been 2 hours 14 minutes and 47.53 per cent respectively. This marks an increase of 20 performance in the duration of meetings and a 6 per cent rise in attendance despite the pandemic since March 2020.
The sources said this has been "the best performance in last four years".
In his last letter to the Chairmen of all the eight Committees, Vice President Naidu has urged them to ensure an average attendance of 50 per cent and an average duration of 2 hours 30 minutes in each of the meetings given the costs involved. The performance reported in this regard during 2020-21 is close to the benchmarks suggested by the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
The Rajya Sabha Chairman this week commissioned a study to recommend ways of improving the performance of these committees and also to examine effective amplification through media of the content and the recommendations contained in the reports submitted for wider dissemination.
Each Committee has 31 members with 10 from Rajya Sabha and 21 from Lok Sabha. Attendance of 11 members (35 per cent) makes the quorum for each meeting. The number of meetings held without quorum has also substantially declined in 2020-21. These Committees are reconstituted every year in September.
