New Delhi:
Amid the adjournments and angry exchanges over Telangana statehood and Pakistan's attack on Indian soldiers, the nation's parliamentarians seem to be missing the big picture in the 16-day monsoon session that began on August 5.
With over 110 bills pending for clearance - out of which 44 listed for the monsoon session - before the two Houses of Parliament, the lawmakers so far have been able to pass just one in four days: the Companies Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Parliament will meet for 12 more days now to discuss the remaining 43 bills, including the Congress's flagship food security bill which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called his most important business this session.
Apart from the Food Bill, the government is keen to push through other important legislations like the contentious Land Acquisition Bill, amendments to the Right to Information (RTI) Act and debating the Supreme Court rulings on convicted MPs and jailed politicians, which they, for a change, unanimously agree upon.
With each wasted hour in Parliament costing the national exchequer a whopping Rs 25 lakh, one only hopes the leaders put the nation before their politics and get some business done.