Speaker Meira Kumar paves way for food bill on Monday

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday helped to clear the way for the passage of the food security bill and other crucial bills by suspending 12 agitating Andhra Pradesh MPs from the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party from the House for five days.

The action is expected to help the House take up pending business, as so far the lower house has virtually failed to transact any business due to rowdy opposition behaviour and repeated adjournments.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said the food security bill would be taken up on Monday; as although the lower house will sit today, many members wished to leave Delhi for the weekend and will therefore be absent.

In contrast, the Rajya Sabha has officially given itself a holiday today, as it has been far more efficient than the lower house and has no business pending before it.

Speaker Meira Kumar named eight members of the Congress and four from the TDP in the house after two adjournments in the wake of their protests and then adjourned the house for the day. Under Rule 374 (A) of parliamentary proceedings, any member named by the speaker shall "stand automatically suspended from the service of the House for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of session, whichever is less".