Rajya Sabha Question
Hour shifted to noon
NEW DELHI:
Notwithstanding reservations by some parties, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari
has decided to go ahead with shifting the timing of the Question Hour from 11
AM to 12 PM from the upcoming Session in an apparent move to ensure
disruption-free proceedings during this segment.
Question Hour in Rajya
Sabha will be between 12 PM and 1 PM instead of 11 AM and 12 PM during the Winter
session beginning on November 24, said a senior Parliamentary Affairs Ministry
official today.
Accordingly, the Zero Hour will be between 11
AM and 12 PM, marking the start of a day's proceedings.
The official said
Rajya Sabha Secretariat has issued the notification to this effect and it has
been communicated to all Ministries.
Question Hour, which
marks the beginning of a day's proceedings of a House of Parliament, is often
witness to disruptions by members who want to raise issues. Normally, no issues
can be raised during the Question Hour except those related to the questions
listed for the day.
Other issues can be
raised during the Zero Hour. Ansari, the Vice President and Rajya Sabha
Chairman, has been concerned over the loss of Question Hour time because of the
disruptions and the General Purposes Committee of the House headed by him had
taken a decision on August 11 to shift swap the Question Hour and the Zero Hour
timings.
It had been decided that the new rules will be implemented from the Winter Session.
However, the very next day reservation was voiced in the House over the decision with Samajwadi Party and Congress seeking its reconsideration.
It had been decided that the new rules will be implemented from the Winter Session.
However, the very next day reservation was voiced in the House over the decision with Samajwadi Party and Congress seeking its reconsideration.
Naresh Agarwal of
Samajwadi Party had said that under "no rule", Zero Hour can take
place at 11 AM and it will be "invalid" and "void".
He had said that as
per the practice adopted from British Parliamentary system practice, Zero hour
happens at noon.
SP leader Ramgopal
Yadav and Subbarami Reddy (Cong) had supported him on the issue.
Earlier also, the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha was shifted to 2 PM a few years ago but it was restored to original timing some days later.
Earlier also, the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha was shifted to 2 PM a few years ago but it was restored to original timing some days later.
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