In 254th session of Rajya Sabha, productivity dipped to 29 pc: Vice President Naidu

Stating that Rajya Sabha is meant to be House of elder statesmen, accomplished public persons, who had the ability to participate in dialogue with prejudice, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said that during the 254th Session of Rajya Sabha, the productivity dipped to 29.60 per cent.

"During the 254th Session of Rajya Sabha, the productivity dipped to 29.60 per cent. This means that the Rajya Sabha has lost about 70 per cent of the functional time. All concerned need to ponder over the fact of rendering legislature dysfunctional," Naidu said at an event on the occasion of Constitution Day in the Central Hall of the Parliament.

Naidu, who is also Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said that time allocated for the session must be "fruitfully spent".

"From 1979 to 1994, the annual productivity of the House was over 100 per cent. In the next 26 years, the overall productivity of Rajya Sabha was over 100 per cent, except in 1998 and 2009. In 2018, a broad declining trend has been witnessed when the productivity touched 35.75 per cent," he said.

He added, "During the 254th Session, it declined 29.60 per cent."

( With inputs from ANI )