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The Delhi assembly which held 74 sittings over its five-year term, met for an average of 15 days a year.
On the days it met, the assembly sat for an average of three hours.
The outgoing seventh Delhi assembly was the worst performer in terms of the total number of sittings held, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis by PRS Legislative Research.
This pertains to assemblies that completed their full five-year term since Delhi's first assembly (1993-1998).
The Union Territory is set to go to the polls in a single phase on February 5, with results to be declared on February 8.
The outgoing assembly, which held 74 sittings over its five-year term, met for an average of 15 days a year.
On the days it met, the assembly sat for an average of three hours.
It passed only 14 Bills during the term, the fewest of any previous full-term assembly.
None of these Bills were referred to committees for further scrutiny.
According to the analysis, within each year of the seventh assembly, sessions were adjourned without being prorogued and were divided into parts.
This led to the House meeting for just one or two days on several occasions.
While the lieutenant governor of Delhi summons and prorogues sessions, the assembly Speaker calls for sittings during a session.
Of the 14 Bills passed by the outgoing assembly, five amended laws to increase the salaries and allowances of legislators, ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, the chief hip, the Speaker, and the deputy speaker.
These Bills were passed in July 2022 and received Presidential assent 225 days later, in February 2023.
Similar Bills passed by the previous assembly did not receive the lieutenant governor's assent.
Of the 74 sitting days, Question Hour was held on only nine. Members are required to submit questions 12 days in advance.
On other occasions, assembly meetings were announced with an average of seven days' notice, leaving insufficient time for questions to be submitted.
Between 2020 and 2025, MLAs asked an average of 219 questions per year.
In comparison, MPs in the Lok Sabha asked an average of 8,200 questions annually during the same period.
In 2021, the Committee on Questions examined the response to a question and concluded that the response was incorrect, amounting to a breach of privilege.
It recommended that the matter be referred to the Privileges Committee.
In 2022, sitting days on which question hour was held the Speaker referred the matter of unsatisfactory replies to questions to the Privileges Committee.
The matter is currently pending with the Committee, the analysis said.
During the winter session in 2024, the Speaker observed that departments such as revenue, services, land and building, and home do not submit replies to questions, undermining Question Hour, it said.
The assembly's 70 legislators asked 15 questions on average. MLAs from the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, numbering 8, asked 40 questions on average, and MLAs from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, numbering 62, asked an average of 11 questions.
According to the PRS Legislative Research, state assemblies often have separate discussions on the annual budget and expenditure budget of ministries.
However, the Delhi assembly combined these discussions. During the seventh assembly, the budget discussion lasted for four hours.
The assembly has 33 committees, and their performance was below par, according to the analysis.
For example, the committee on petitions presented four reports, down from 27 in the previous term.
It looked at issues such as disbursal of old-age pension and functioning of outpatient department counters in Delhi government hospitals.
During the sixth assembly (2015 to 2020), committees presented 50 reports, compared to only 20 in the seventh in the outgoing House.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
