NEW DELHI: As the state gears up for a high voltage poll, an analysis released on Friday on the performance of MLAs in the 17th Bihar legislative assembly shows that with 147 sittings spread over 15 sessions, the assembly sat for an average of 29 days per year where MLAs asked almost 22,500 questions. The highest number of questions were related to rural works, education and health, reports Ambika Pandit.As many as 99 bills were introduced and passed in the assembly over five years. In fact, all these bills were passed on the same day as their introduction. The data on sessions also shows that the longest sessions were the second and fifth sessions, each having 22 sittings.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch had filed RTI applications to the Bihar assembly secretariat asking for the information pertaining to the performance of the MLAs and the legislative assembly.Arun Shankar Prasad, a BJP MLA from Khajauli assembly constituency, asked 275 questions, the highest by any MLA, followed by Congress MLA Manohar Prasad Singh from Manihar (231) and RJD’s Mukesh Kumar Yadav from Bajpatti who asked 230 questions. Among the top five, CPI(M) MP Ajay Kumar from Bibbhutipur followed with 229 questions and RJD’s Ajay Yadav from Atri asked 226 questions.On an average, a Bihar MLA including those elected through bye-elections, asked 179 questions, including starred questions and unstarred questions in the Bihar assembly.
