New Delhi:
Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has called for a meeting of the Rules Committee today to try and get the House to function again and conduct the Question Hour smoothly. After many days were lost to the deadlock over Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail till last week, parties are now disrupting proceedings over the Wal-Mart lobbying controversy and other issues like the quota in promotions Bill.
After the Upper House witnessed customary shouting and indiscipline yesterday, an agitated Mr Ansari admonished members. "A situation has arisen in which the Chair has to watch helplessly the disruption of Question Hour very frequently," he said, even suggesting that Question Hour could be dispensed with. "I propose two options...Question Hour should be moved to other part of day...Two, members do not seem to attach much importance to questions answered; the Question Hour should be dispensed with all together," he said.
The disruptions yesterday were caused by Opposition members on two issues - some wanted a discussion on whether Walmart lobbied in India to push the FDI policy and others - mainly the Samajwadi Party - protested against a possible discussion on a proposal that reserves promotions in government jobs for tribals and Dalits.
Much of the ongoing winter session of Parliament has been squandered over the FDI debate. While the government won the vote on FDI in both Houses last week, fresh disruptions have been sparked off by a disclosure in the US that Wal-Mart spent Rs 125 crore in the last four years to lobby for various agendas, including pushing FDI in India.