Functioning of the 14th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (2014-2018)

The 14^th Assembly sat for an average of 28 days in a year, more than the previous Assembly

·     The currently Assembly sat for 139 days.  This was 20 days more than the total number of sittings (119) of the 13^th Assembly (2009-13).  Note that the state government decides the duration for which its legislature should meet.

·     Of the 139 sitting days of the Assembly, 112 days (81%) were budget session days.  While the average duration of each budget session was 22 days, non-budget sessions averaged much lesser (five days).

·     During each budget session from 2014 to 2017, four days were spent on discussing the general budget.  On average, 71 members (of the total 200) participated in the discussion.

On average, 32 members discussed finances of 17 departments during each budget session

·     On average, Demands for Grants (DFGs) of 17 departments were discussed during each budget session between 2014 and 2017.  An average of 32 members participated in these discussions each year.

·     DFGs for certain departments were discussed every year.  These include police and prisons, education, agriculture, and irrigation.

·     Other departments whose DFGs were discussed include housing, drinking water and sanitation, and local governments.

128 Bills passed; 76 of them passed within a week of introduction

·     5% Bills were passed on the same day; 54% were passed within one to seven days; and 41% were passed more than a week after their introduction.

·     Five Bills were introduced, that have not been passed by the Assembly.  These include the Rajasthan Land Acquisition Bill, 2014, which had been sent to a Select Committee for examination.

·     In 2017, two Bills related to criminal laws were examined by Committees.  Of these, the Code of Criminal Procedure (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed.

Maximum Bills introduced in the area of education

Note: The 128 Bills passed do not include 20 Appropriation Bills.

·     The highest number of Bills (45 Bills) were passed in the area of education.  16 Bills set up new universities.

·     Of the 128 Bills passed, 73 were Amendment Bills.  50 were Principal Bills and five were Bills to repeal existing Acts.  Maximum amendments were introduced in the areas of: (i) education (21 Bills), (ii) urban development (nine Bills), and (iii) law and order (eight Bills).

15 Ordinances promulgated; nine Ordinances in the areas of panchayati raj and education

     Note: The 113 Bills passed do not include 15 Bills replacing Ordinances.

·     The government promulgated 15 Ordinances in the current Assembly.  Note that during the tenure of the 13^th Assembly, the government had promulgated 65 Ordinances in five years.

·     The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Bill was amended five times by Ordinances between 2014 and 2016.

·     Three Ordinances in education were related to the establishment and incorporation of new universities.

·     All 15 Ordinances were passed as Bills by the Assembly.  In addition, 113 Bills were passed.

21% of admitted starred questions answered on the floor of the House

·     Of the starred questions admitted, maximum were related to the areas of: (i) food and public distribution, and (ii) public health.  The other ministries with respect to which starred questions were asked include public works, education, and women and child development.

·     On average, of the starred questions admitted, 21% were answered orally by ministers on the floor of the house.

Sources: Sessional Review and list of Bills passed (2014-2018) from Rajasthan Legislative Assembly website; PRS.