Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar laments loss due to frequent interruptions

NEW DELHI: With the Monsoon session of Lok Sabha paralysed for almost half the time, Speaker Meira Kumar today lamented the loss due to frequent interruptions.

"Regrettably, we lost over 51 hours and six minutes due to interruptions followed by forced adjournments," she said noting that the session had 26 sittings spread over 104 hours and three minutes.

Before adjourning the House sine die, she expressed hope that members remained committed to check the tendency of frequent interruptions to strengthen country's parliamentary form of democracy.

Kumar also frowned upon the repeated demands for suspension of Question Hour leading to its disruption.

"I hope in future the House will not allow suspension or disruption of the Question Hour since it is irretrievable," she said.

During the session, on an average about 1.96 questions could be answered per day as 500 starred questions were listed out of which only 51 could be answered orally.

At the same time, she noted that the House sat late for 18 hours and 25 minutes this time.