Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu raises concern over disruptions of House

A total of 69 Zero Hour mentions including 12 admitted for the day and 23 Special mentions by as many members, though were admitted by the Chairman could not be raised in the House during the last week and today due to persistent disruptions. The Chairman observed: "(In the four sittings held last week) In Zero Hour, as many as 57 matters of 63 members were permitted. However, none could be raised due to the disruption of proceedings. These matters covered wide-ranging issues like shortage of Covid-19 vaccines; need for time-bound completion of COVID-19 vaccination; unemployment due to the continuing pandemic; problems of students in availing online education; hike in process of petroleum products and the resultant increase in prices of essential commodities; alleged attacks on the freedom of the press; the situation in Lakshadweep; attacks on and killing of Indian in South Africa; sharing of Cauvery river water between States etc." 

Naidu further informed the House that out of the 31 Special Mentions admitted so far, only eight could be laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday last week while the rest could not be mentioned in the House. The issues sought to be raised under this category include the abolition of posts in Indian Railways; functioning of the National Medical Commission; racial slurs against the people of the North Eastern States among others. Chairman Naidu also expressed concern over the members of the House being denied the opportunity to seek clarifications from the Minister of Information Technology on the statement laid on the Table of the House on Thursday last week regarding "Compromise on phone data of some persons as reported by media" (alleged Pegasus spyware issue).