MPS-CONG TWO LST

An exasperated Indian Parliamentary Affairs Minister P
K Bansal had Monday questioned the relevance of the Question
Hour if the MPs were going to remain absent.
Party sources maintain that their President Sonia
Gandhi, who is also the CPP Chairperson, has time and again
expressed concern about the absence of MPs in Parliament and
asked them to participate in the deliberations.
Lok Sabha's Question Hour had collapsed yesterday for
the first time in two decades, prompting Speaker Meira Kumar
to express concern.
The Lower House had created a record of sorts with as
many as 34 members, who had listed questions, remaining
absent, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House within 30
minutes of its assembling.
Last time, Lok Sabha's Question Hour had collapsed in
1991. Similar developments had happened twice in 1983, five
times in 1985, three times in 1988 and twice in 1989,
Parliament sources said.
They said it requires Rs 14 lakh to run the Lok Sabha
for an hour and the Government has to prepare hard to face the
members. PTI