Question hour in Rajya Sabha changed from 12 noon to 1 pm for Winter Session

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, notwithstanding reservations by some parties, has decided to go ahead with shifting the timing of the Question Hour from 11 AM to 12 PM from the upcoming Session in an apparent move to ensure disruption-free proceedings during this segment.

But Lok Sabha has no plans to shift the timing of the Question Hour. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said last night that none of the leaders at the all-party meeting expressed any divergent views on her stand that the timing of the Question Hour which commences at 11 AM, should not be changed.

Mahajan said starting the day with Zero Hour, which often witnesses uproar, could better be avoided, suggesting it was not a good beginning to the day's proceedings.

Read: Rajya Sabha MPs do not want change in Question Hour, Zero Hour timings

During the month-long Session having a total of 22 sittings, Opposition is likely to rake up the issue of the proposed disbanding of the Planning Commission and government's alleged "U-turn" on bringing back black money stashed abroad.

The Nanavati Commission report on Gujarat riots, repeated incursions by Chinese Army, a series of accidents involving naval vessels, Shiv Sena's demand for a special package for Maharashtra where parts of the state facing drought-like situation and AAP's demand for package for Punjab farmers are also likely to be raised.

This session will also see a situation where Shiv Sena, while being an alliance partner of the ruling NDA at the Centre, is in opposition in Maharashtra where BJP is ruling the state. Talks are on to resolve the alliance issue in Maharashtra.

Days before the session commences, Speaker Mahajan has also announced allocation of seats in the lower house. The exercise took some six months since the 16th Lok Sabha came into being.

Congress has not been able to secure the Leader of the Opposition post as it fell short of the required 55 by 11 seats but Leader of Congress in the House Mallikarjun Kharge

has been alloted the seat normally given to LoP in the Lok Sabha next to that of the Deputy Speaker in the Opposition benches.

Mahajan made it clear that this does not mean that the Congress leader has been accorded the Leader of the Opposition status.