The Parliament logjam continues and the Winter Session of 2016 might perhaps go down the history books with just 3 days remaining before the session ends on December 16. But the question that might be bothering many is what’s so new? In fact if we look at the way the Parliament has been functioning, every session be it Winter, Monsoon or the Budget sessions there are more hours that have been wasted than what went to some serious work. Tons and tons of words, columns and editorial space has been devoted to the amount of working hours lost, the amount of money wasted but does it really help?
In 2012, the cost that was put out estimates that the expenses involved in running the Lok Sabha was close to Rs 2.5 lakh every minute and the daily cost was somewhere close to Rs 9 crore every day for the entire duration of the session. For Rajya Sabha it was estimated to be north of Rs 5 crore a day. In fact this session’s net loss so far a sa result of the wash out is close to Rs 391 crore and it’s not over yet.
Surprisingly every session it is the same story that is recycled time and again. The opposition blames the Government and the Government claims the vice versa. The creators of our Constitution considered the Parliament as the altar of the great Democracy that India envisaged to be yet increasingly it’s being seen more as a sign of mockery of the democracy.
Not only is this washout a criminal waste of the tax payer’s money but in many ways it is also symptomatic of the general approach of the politicians towards the electorate and the very people who put them to power and are also funding the daily functioning of the Parliament! It clearly reflects a complete abdication of their fundamental responsibilities to their electorate. We have been many eminent and key spokesperson address the issue including the resident and senior BJP leader LK Advani. Even earlier there have been many important leaders and Lok Sabha speaker who tries to stir the political consciousness but sadly all that has not really brought about any material difference in the conduct of the politicians.
It is but natural then that many of us are actually raising the efficacy of a parliamntary form of Government. The inability of our leaders to assemble and put up an united front in the interest of the nation is indeed shocking. Does it mean that perhaps we are heading towards a centralised form of authoritarian Presidential form of Governance? Does it mean that in the race to settle their personal scores our leaders can easily put the national interest at risk? The fact is the Parliament’s credibility is at stake today and who is ready to address the problem?
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