Rs 2.5 lakh is spent every minute to run Parliament, Minister of State Vijay Goel said on Thursday as the government sought to step up efforts to end the stalemate.
The remarks came even as Goel, who is the MoS in Parliamentary Affairs, will be individually meeting Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, TDP’s Y S Chowdhary and AIADMK’s Navaneethakrishnan and V Maitreyan at their residences to end the stalemate in Rajya Sabha.
While government managers were meeting Opposition leaders in Parliament, the fresh move comes as the government wants to pass a clutch of bills pending in the House.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were witnessing protests since the start of the second leg of Budget Session from March 6 following protests by TDP MPs over Andhra Pradesh’s special category and AIADMK MPs on setting up of Cauvery Management Board.
TDP and YSR Congress have also moved a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha against NDA government but it could not be taken up as AIADMK and TRS MPs creating ruckus in the House. The opposition accused BJP of stage-managing these protests to avoid a debate on the no-trust motion.
“We are concerned that the House is not working. We are ready for discussion on any subject, including bank scams. The Opposition does not want discussion inside House but they go for TV debates. They should debate inside House,” Goel said while claiming that Rs 2.5 lakh is spent every minute for the functioning of the House. He did not elaborate how he arrived at this figure.
He said he will personally meet Opposition leaders.
Asked when he will meet leaders of Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress among others, he told DH, “first I am meeting Congress, TDP and AIADMK because they are in the forefront of protests. I will definitely meet others.”
On Thursday, the government had managed to convince protesting MPs in Rajya Sabha to pass Payment of Gratuity Bill. Sources said government reached out to parties and thrashed out a formula to allow the passage without discussion.
To keep the TDP and AIADMK MPs in check, each MP from these parties were allowed to speak on their issues. As the Bill was passed without any hitch, these MPs rushed into the Well following which the House was adjourned.
Deccan Herald
