Despite AgustaWestland issue and disruptions, Parliament passed key bills

New Delhi The highdecibel debate on AgustaWestland chopper scam and acrimonious scenes over political developments in Uttarakhand punctuated with allegations and counterallegations dominated the proceedings in both houses of parliament during the Budget SessionPart II that concluded on FridayThe Lok Sabha proceedings ended on Wednesday two days ahead of scheduleNotwithstanding the bitterness over the chopper deal debate and developments concerning Uttarakhand and other issues like an adverse CAG report on Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation when Narendra Modi was the states chief minister the parliament session saw the successful passage of several key billsThe eighth session of the 16th Lok Sabha passed important legislations including the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code which is being described as one key reform step and a gamechanger in terms of tracking black moneyThis key bill later got the nod from the Rajya Sabha tooIn the Rajya Sabha too despite differences and occasional disruptions over Uttarakhand and AgustaWestland a bill was passed on May 11 to upgrade the Rajendra Agricultural University in Bihar into a central university In a record of sorts the bill was also passed by the Lok Sabha on the same dayIn the midst of a fierce legal battle over imposition of Presidents Rule in Uttarakhand Congress members in the Rajya Sabha resisted according approval to the state budget which Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called a constitutional necessityThe hill state was under Presidents Rule since March 27 and the Centre had issued an ordinance on March 31 to ensure that the states expenditures in the new financial year had legal sanctionAfter winning the trial of strength in the assembly mandated by the Supreme Court the Harish Rawatled Congress ministry was back in UttarakhandAmong the bills passed by the Rajya Sabha during the session were the Finance Bill 2016 The Appropriation No 2 Bill 2016 the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 and The Indian Trusts Amendment Bill 2015In fact Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pointed out that it would have been good if the Goods and Services Tax GST Bill and the one seeking to unlock Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority CAMPA funds were also passed during the sessionHad we decided on CAMPA Bill in this session states would have got Rs42000 crore That would be Rs2000 crore to Rs3000 crore per state the prime minister saidHe said similarly the states would have benefited if the muchawaited GST Bill was also passedThe 8th session of the 16th Lok Sabha also created history of sorts when the business of the lower house could be carried out without any adjournment due to interruptionsThis is making of a history a senior Lok Sabha official told IANS here adding that such smooth functioning of the Lok Sabha proceedings was most recently recorded almost 25 years ago in 1990 during the stint of Rabi Ray as Speaker and in 1992 when Shivraj Patil was presiding over the lower houseDuring the session which concluded on Wednesday the Lok Sabha also recorded 120 percent work during its 13 sittings spread over 92 hours 21 minutesOn the last day of the session in the Rajya Sabha in his concluding remarks on various retiring members Finance Minister Jaitley who is also Leader of the House sought to revive the debate about contests of powers and authorities of the two housesHe preferred the supremacy of parliament in general and the Lok Sabha in particular in two fundamental duties of governance of law making and budget makingAny dilution of these powers could result in compromising the future of parliamentary democracy and even democracy he saidJaitley also said that such a debate over the powers between two houses of parliament was going on in many other countries including Italy and AustraliaRajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari thanked the members for their participation in lively debate and said members have contributed their part amid political compulsions and ideological differences