On examining the attendance records of the 11th and 12 session of the fourteeth Lok Sabha, it was more than 75 per cent members who were below the median point of 16 or more days of attendance. As can be seen most of the MPs attended between 11 and 15 days in total. Not only that, the number of MPs whose attendance ranged from 0-5 days increased in the 12th session. The partici-pation of the members in the parliamentary debates shows their involvement in the whole functioning of the system. However it was distressing to find that the participation of young members was lower in comparison to other age groups.
What is more worrisome is that while the members of sittings are declining even during those fewer sittings precious legislative time is lost due to adjournments and pandemonium in both the houses. Cost of running the Parliament has increased substantially from Rs. 100 per minute (in 1951) to Rs. 18,430 per minute (in 2004-05) and to Rs. 26,000 per minute recently.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR M K Singh
M.K. Singh was born at Daltonganj (Jharkhand) on 2nd August 1963. He did his graduation from Patna University and Post-graduation in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has wide and varied experience of serving in government but his keen interest and involvement in developmental issues and welfare of the common man made him relinquish his job with the government. With a burning desire to get the common people associated wit the cause of development, he initiated raising of welfare issues and mobilization of people to fight against injustices and lapses in government schemes. His focus has been on chronic problems such as Kalazar, malnutrition, drought and hunger deaths and his efforts have borne positive results with great relief to masses. Leakage in public distribution system, providing compulsory education to all, absenteeism of teachers and doctors, migration and displacement miseries, are some of the other issues which he has been canvassing against, and highlighting at various`s social and political platforms. He has been relentlessly interacting with different constitutional bodies and functionaries such as the Planning Commission, Finance Commission, Members of Parliament, the Governor and the President of India in his bid to sensitise them about major socio-economic issues of Jharkhand with specific reference to the tribal community. He has organized various seminars on issues like Tribal Rights (Forest) Bill, to promote the tribal cause. It is his constant endeavour to serve the cause of poor and weaker sections of the society in order to achieve the overall development of Jharkhand which it truly deserves.
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