Vice President's Secretariat
Text of Valedictory Remarks of Chairman (263rd Session of Rajya Sabha)
Posted On:
10 FEB 2024 8:13PM by PIB Delhi
"Hon’ble Members, we have come to the close of the 263rd Session of Rajya Sabha. It is the last Session before we go for the general elections – a true Festival of Democracy in the Mother of Democracy.
As highlighted by the Hon'ble President in her address, Bharat is making phenomenal progress in all walks of life. We are in Amrit Kaal of our Republic. As Members of the Upper House, we have to ensure exemplary standards of conduct. We need to be a source of inspiration as Bharat steadfastly surges towards a Viksit Rashtra and a global leader. We are in an era of immense possibilities. Let us vigorously contribute for continual, incremental rise of Bharat. I have no doubt that this sentiment is shared by every Member of this House and the people at large.
In this short but important session, the House sat for 9 days, dealing with 116 issues of public importance alongside answering 90 starred and 960 unstarred questions. Overall productivity during the Session stood at an impressive figure of 137 per cent.
It is noteworthy that during this session Hon’ble Members spoke in 15 regional languages with simultaneous interpretation in Hindi and English.
In addition to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to President’s Address and interim Union Budget, this House also passed 7 Bills including Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill and Constitution Amendment Bills related to inclusion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. I would also like to mention that 22 Private Members’ Bills have been introduced in this Session.
Hon’ble Members, the House also bade farewell to 68 Members. Out of this 3 Members retired in the month of January and the remaining 65 would be retiring between February to July this year. Let me express our profound appreciation for the distinguished service rendered by each one of our esteemed retiring colleagues.
I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Hon’ble Deputy Chairperson, Shri Harivansh Ji and Members on the Panel of Vice-Chairpersons for assisting me in conducting the proceedings of the House. I also thank the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Leaders of various Parties and the Hon’ble Members for their cooperation.
I acknowledge the untiring efforts of the Secretary-General and his team of dedicated officers and staff in ensuring that the Session runs smoothly.
Before I conclude, I would like to extend my good wishes to all of you for the forthcoming festivals and for the General Election."
Thank you. Jai Hind!"
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