New Delhi (TIP): Parliament was on March 25 adjourned sine die with the Budget session cut short by 14 days in view of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The second leg of the session, which began on March 8, was scheduled to end on the April 8. Members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha had urged the government to curtail the session keeping in view of state elections. The demand had become stronger after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tested positive for Covid-19. After Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Ravneet Singh said, “The Budget session is going on… the entire country is watching. Should we meet the PM in a West Bengal rally?” Even as Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal was telling Ravneet Singh that this was “not correct as the PM had been attending” the proceedings, PM Modi walked into the House. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several Cabinet ministers were also present on the occasion. In his valedictory speech, presiding officer Bhartruhari Mahtab said 18 Bills were passed and 17 introduced in the House. The productivity of the Lok Sabha stood at 114 per cent during the Budget session and 146 MPs participated in the discussion on the Union Budget, he said. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the Upper House functioned for 104 hours as against the total scheduled time of 116 hours. “Against a total of 33 sittings scheduled, from January 29 to April 8, we are concluding it after having 23 sittings,” he said. The Budget session provided the members of this House an opportunity to deliberate on issues concerning economic growth and recovery, particularly in the post-Covid phase, he said. In a media briefing, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Budget session remained highly productive due to the cooperation of parliamentarians from all parties. The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Bill for setting up the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said despite remaining out of purview of the “3Cs” (CBI, CVC and CAG), it would not be beyond oversight. It would submit its audited reports to both Houses of Parliament besides being duty-bound to submit these as and when sought by the government, she said.                 Source: TNS