The first budget session of the 15th Lok Sabha which concluded on Friday was a business like affair as the number of extra hours the House sat exceeded those wasted due to interruptions and forced adjournments.

Before the House adjourned sine die, Speaker Meira Kumar said in her valedictory address that Lok Sabha lost over 23 hours and 34 minutes due to interruptions and forced adjournments, but it sat late for 30 hours and 52 minutes to transact important financial and other business. The session had 26 sittings spread over 162 hours.

"This amply demonstrates the commitment of the members to the welfare of our people," she said.

During this session, the Railways and the General budget were presented and passed.

While discussion on the railway budget lasted for 17 hours and 57 minutes in which 197 members participated, the General budget discussion lasted for 17 hours and 12 minutes.

During this session, 16 bills were introduced and eight bills passed, including the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2009.

The session saw 500 starred questions being listed, out of which 87 questions could be answered orally. On an average, about 3.34 questions could be answered per day.

Written replies to the remaining starred questions along with 4894 unstarred questions were laid on the table, she said.

As many as 280 matters of urgent public importance were raised by the members after the Question Hour and when the House sat late in the evening. Members also raised 322 matters under different rules.

... contd.