Parliament should run for at least 100 days in a year: Vice President

New Delhi, Dt
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Speaker Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that the proceedings of Parliament must run for at least 100 days in a year and everyone should make sure that this is done. He also demanded a wide-ranging discussion on the announcement of free items by political parties.
Inaugurating the two-day function at the Parliament House on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Public Accounts Committee of India, Naidu said that the House should be ensured to function effectively and meaningfully. He said that if the political parties were in opposition, they would recommend running the House for 100 days in a year, but after coming into government, they did not worry about this demand.
Along with this, the Speaker of the Rajya Sabha also recommended to run the House for at least 20 days in the state assemblies throughout the year. Describing the Public Accounts Committee as the mother of all parliamentary committees, Venkaiah Naidu also expressed concern over the fact that parliaments do not take committee meetings seriously and are absent. He also advised everyone to introspect on the issue.
On the important role of the Public Accounts Committee in ensuring accountability and transparency of the government, the Vice President said that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had once said that only 15 paise out of 1 rupee could reach the needy. This was a question raised on the system rather than an accusation against someone. But today in the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, money is sent directly to the accounts of the needy.
Naidu added that governments should carefully balance spending so that short-term and long-term plans can be implemented equally. He added that ensuring welfare schemes and social security for the needy is a major responsibility of governments. Therefore, there is a need for a wide-ranging discussion on the free schemes announced by various political parties.