Parliament’s Monsoon Session concluded on Tuesday amid concerns over loss of five days of work on account of disruptions and warnings that the “alarming” trend could lead to unforeseen consequences.

Speaker Meira Kumar used her valedictory remarks at the end of the month-long session to disapprove the ‘mock Parliament’ held by some parties noting that “let informed debates take place inside the chamber at all time instead of slogans and mock discussions.”

Striking a similar note, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari lamented, “the practice (of frequent disruptions) tramples on the rights of individual Members, detracts from the dignity of Parliament, and has invited public criticism.”

Parliament is meant for debates and discussions, Kumar said, adding “the trend of disrupting the proceedings days on end is alarming and if not checked, will ultimately lead to unforeseen consequences.”

Political parties and individuals, she said, “should seriously ponder over the irreparable damage being done to Parliamentary democracy by such disruptions.”

While the Lok Sabha lost 45 hours due to interruptions and forced adjournments, the Rajya Sabha could not transact any business on five days and there were several disruptions and adjournments as a result of which eight question hours were lost, the presiding officers said.

In monetary terms, the disruptions led to loss of crores of rupees of public money, according to observers of the Parliamentary scene who insist that per minute sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha cost a lot.

Incidentally, a highlight of the month-long session was the passage to the much talked about bill raising the salaries of MPs from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 per month as also substantially hiking the allowances.

Calling on political parties to preserve the sanctity of Parliament, Kumar said, “We are sitting here today because of the sacrifices of countless patriotic Indians. The institution of Parliament is the magnificent legacy of the glorious struggle for independence.”