A day after Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee spelt out plans for the smooth running of the winter session, Parliament gave itself two days off. When work actually does begin on Monday, disruptions are likely as the BJP wants to corner the Left on Nandigram.
Why was the session not scheduled for Monday itself? Why are members paid salaries and perks for not working instead of a no-work, no-pay rule?
These questions ought to be asked, given the session was already a curtailed one. By now, we know the facts well: nearly 26% of Parliament’s time in the first three years of this Lok Sabha was lost due to disruptions. Every minute wasted costs us taxpayers Rs26,000.
Yet, there is no effort to curb such behaviour. And there won’t be, until parliamentarians themselves realize that their cushy working conditions—without any accountability—are likely to be resented by many voters.