Ways in which MPs engage in Parliament

A member of parliament (MP) can engage in the parliamentary process in many ways. Attending the sessions, participating in the debates, asking questions and using every opportunity and privilege are golden opportunities for MPs to bring the public's voice on issues. An MP who knows the pulse of the people can voice their concerns effectively during the debates.

The Member of Parliament Local Area Development Fund is considered one instrument that helps MPs fund small projects. However, MPs can bring much more funds to a city or a state if they engage in the parliamentary process through various schemes.

MPs are sometimes chosen as members of various parliamentary committees where they get the opportunity to analyse and frame policies for particular sectors. Lok Sabha session starts every day with Question Hour. Questions are categorised into three types: Starred questions; unstarred questions and short notice questions.

Starred questions: A starred question asked by an MP is answered orally by the minister-in-charge. Each MP can ask one starred question a day. The questions are submitted 15 days in advance. The MP can ask upto two supplementary questions during the question hour, and other MPs can ask more questions. Starred questions are better suited to inquire about the government’s views on issues and its policy inclination.

Unstarred questions: This receives a written reply from the concerned ministry. These are also submitted 15 days in advance.

Short notice questions: These include matters of urgent public importance. They can be asked with less than ten days’ notice, with reasons for the short notice. Like starred questions, they are answered orally, followed by supplementary questions.

Zero Hour: This period follows Question Hour. It is usually used to raise urgent matters which cannot wait for the notice period required under other procedures.

Debates: Bills that will be passed in the session are discussed in these debates. This is at the heart of the lawmaking business.

Rule 377: MPs may raise issues under this Rule that were not raised during the same session under any other Rule, with the consent of the Speaker. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs determines the policy and follow-up action on such issues. The replies to Special Mentions are sent to the members concerned within a month.

Tejasvi Surya, MP, Banaglore South

As the debutant MP from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya proved to be one of the most active parliamentarians. His legal background and oratory skills helped him excel in debates. He participated in 36 debates, with two papers laid under Rule 377 covering civic issues related to Bengaluru directly. 

He requested the Centre to add Bengaluru to the metro city list of India and review income tax rules accordingly so that Bengaluru citizens can claim a 50 percent house rent allowance. His other request was for intra-city mobility infrastructure in the city, in which he asked the government to expedite the suburban railway network.

Tejasvi Surya also raised other important issues:

Need to regulate sale and purchase of Jan Aushadi medicines through online platform (Aug 2023)

Regarding the introduction of Financial Literacy in School and College Curriculum (Dec 2022)

Request to start the operation of the Amruthavarshini channel as an independent Challel. (Feb 2022)

EPFO pension disbursing (Sep 2020)

The need to frame a policy to encourage investment from Indian Venture Capitalists in startups in the country. (Sep 2020)

Need to merge Central Government Health Scheme with Ayushman Bharat Scheme (March 2020)

Declaring Type 1 diabetes as a disability (Nov 2019)

The need to repeal Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules and issue new ones to govern social media platforms, need to implement One Nation One Election, request for banning Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI), implementation of National Registry of Citizens to curb illegal immigrants are other issues he raised in the parliament. 

Out of the 382 questions, he asked about the status of the Anekal Road-Bidadi railway line project. The Centre replied that the project did not have traffic potential, so could not be taken forward. The other questions included the status of pending Bengaluru Metro projects and their financing, the upgradation of the Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Station, monitoring and financing of suburban rail project status, and expansion of and recruitments in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS).

His other questions covered healthcare, housing, mobility, employment, media, human resources, terrorism, law and order and other issues.

“My only request is that the youth of Karnataka should get employment opportunities in rural banks in Karnataka. Injustice should not be meted out to them. Therefore, the guidelines before the year 2014 should be implemented to ensure justice to Kannada youth and enable them to get employment opportunities,” said Surya in his speech in a Lok Sabha session, while speaking on the need to reconsider local language criteria for recruitment in Regional Rural Banks.

P C Mohan, Bangalore Central

P C Mohan, the third-term MP from Bangalore Central, is contesting the polls for the fourth time. In his third term, out of 189 questions he asked, five were directly related to Bengaluru. They were on suburban rails, the completion of the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway project, rail accidents/deaths in the Bengaluru division, and rainwater harvesting systems in Bengaluru. 

In one of the nine debates he participated in, he raised the subject of transferring defence land in 10 locations in Bengaluru. 

“Despite the fact that the Armed Forces authorities agreeing to transfer the Defence land for infrastructure projects in 2018-19 and the then Defence Minister looked into the issue and agreed to exchange the Defence land in 10 locations of Bengaluru city, except in three locations, local authorities have not given permission for any work. Due to these issues, the citizens of Bengaluru are suffering from increased traffic,” said the paper on the House table under Rule 377 in December 2022.

Another issue he raised was eliminating the 26-level crossing in Bengaluru city, which, when closed, led to a traffic jam and delayed road commuters. 

“Lakes have been neglected, and water bodies have been encroached. There are lakes and water bodies, but there are no water sources for that.  There are some lakes where water is present, but the water is polluted. I have a request to the Central Government. Already, in the AMRUT Scheme, they have given adequate funds. I want to bring it to your notice that Bangalore is called Silicon Valley of India. In my Constituency, Mahadevapura Constituency, there is Bellandur Lake... I request the Government to take up this lake as a special case and give adequate funds to the state government or take it directly under the Central Government and develop this lake,” said Mohan in an opportunity he got to speak in the parliament in June 2019.

In the same speech, he also discussed the need to increase railway coverage and introduce new trains to decongest Bengaluru. This is the only speech dedicated to Bengaluru that was made in the Lok Sabha.

In another speech in September 2020, Mohan focused on the suburban railway network. “The development of suburban transportation infrastructure would spread the city beyond its boundaries. This will ensure the demographic spread of the population. State government should ensure the development of necessary infrastructure for the development of residential localities like water, electricity, educational institutions, hospitals and market places,” he said.

D K Suresh, Bangalore Rural

Bengaluru Rural constituency encompasses Bangalore South, Anekal, and Rajarajeshwarinagar assembly constituencies. D K Suresh from the Indian National Congress represented this constituency in the 17th Lok Sabha. 

As the MP, he asked 395 questions, one of which was about the 287-km circular railway network around Bengaluru. The questions involved many universal matters such as water supply, solar power, inflation, the employment guarantee scheme, the price of cooking gas, healthcare, low-cost housing, and others.

In addition, he participated in 21 debates. He raised issues such as the hijab ban in educational institutions, the setting up a coconut board in Karnataka, and minimum support for silk cocoons.

D V Sadananda Gowda, Bangalore Rural

D V Sadanada Gowda, the MP from Bengaluru North, was the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers for two years, between May 30, 2019, and July 07, 2021. Once he lost the portfolio, though he continued to be a parliamentary member, his participation in debates was nonexistent, and he did not ask any questions related to the city or other areas. 

Gowda's only achievement after resigning as minister was 63% attendance. Shobha Karadlaje has been chosen as the BJP candidate from Bangalore North.