Parliament Logjam- Tax-paying Voter the Looser

By S K Visay

With the parliament  has not been able to function for the 19^th day in a row,  including today , thanks to the unyielding  attitude of both the ruling and opposition parties on the Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on the infamous trillion rupee 2G spectrum scam, the national exchequer has lost about 150 crore rupee.   In fact, the real looser of this logjam is none other than the taxpaying voters of the country who were instrumental in electing the honorable members to deliberate and settle their burning issues in parliament.  It is unfortunate, the same members, both from the opposition and ruling front, with scat regards to the voters who elected them to power are up in arms against each other to block the proceedings of the house which had to debate on important issues concerning the day to day affairs of the voters who elected them as their representatives in the House.

In fact, except the first day of the ongoing winter session that began November 9, 2010 the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have not functioned normally for a single day.  Hope the agitating Members need to be aware of the fact, the non-functioning of parliament is proving costly for the nation, approximately 7.8 crore rupee per day. Which means the total loss of the national exchequer for these 19 days of logjam amounts to a 148.2 crore rupee. According to official figures, the total budget of the two houses of parliament and the ministry of parliamentary affairs for 2010-11 is nearly Rs.535 crore.

The principle opposition party, the BJP, justifies their action in the Houses saying the 2 G spectrum scam has to be investigated by a  Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), for the amount involved is so huge, about  1.76 crore rupee.  The prime accused is the minister who held the charge of the ministry at that point in time and a probe by any government agency can be influenced by the accused or the party in power to save their image.

But, in the Tehelka tape expose the BJP-led NDA government did not yield to a JPC probe by  Sonia Gandhi, then the Leader of the Opposition. The NDA was adamant and Parliament was subsequently stalled, but the government managed to push its agenda in the House.

Unfortunately, senior functionaries in the ruling dispensation including the prime minister and his powerful cabinet colleagues could not salvage the situation till date.  Sonia Gandhi the all powerful chairperson of the ruling UPA is also not able to resolve the deadlock.  Even the prime troubleshooter of the UPA government like Pranab Mukherjee has raised both their hands. “I have not been able to find a solution. I do not know how to resolve this impasse,” was all he could say.

As a result of the unresolved logjam any major Bills including the much awaited Women’s Reservation Bill, Land Acquisition Bill, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, and the Mines and Minerals Bill are lying in cold storage.

The real and ultimate sufferers of the ongoing impasse in Parliament are none other than the taxpaying commoners of the country who have voted these members to power.  For, loss to the exchequer in any mode is the money lost from the pockets of the taxpaying population.