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According to reports, it costs around Rs 2.5 lakh per minute to run Parliament.
Parliament Monsoon Session LIVE: Lok Sabha Adjourned Till Monday Over Opposition Uproar (File photo: Lok Sabha/Sansad TV)
Parliament Logjam: Parliament remained largely non-functional for the fifth consecutive day on Friday as persistent protests by Opposition members over the NEET paper leak issue led to repeated adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, adding to the financial cost of stalled legislative business.
What’s Happening In Parliament
The deadlock continued despite the Centre reiterating its willingness to hold a discussion on the issue. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged the Opposition to allow proceedings, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured the country that a stringent law against paper leaks would be brought and discussed by the Union Cabinet.
Rijiju also appealed to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to persuade Opposition MPs to participate in the debate instead of insisting on the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as a precondition.
However, Opposition members continued their protest in the Well of the House, raising slogans and demanding Pradhan’s resignation. With the disruption continuing, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till Monday, marking the fifth straight day of washouts during the Monsoon Session.
How Much Does It Cost
While repeated disruptions are often seen as part of political disagreements, they also come with a significant financial cost. Every adjournment means public money continues to be spent even as legislative work remains stalled.
According to reports, it costs around Rs 2.5 lakh per minute to run Parliament. The figure was first shared in Parliament in 2012 by then Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.
In 2023, former Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Acharya reiterated the same estimate, saying the cost includes expenditure on building maintenance, electricity, water, security, salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament, staff expenses, transport, food and other direct and indirect operational costs.
This translates to about Rs 1.5 crore per hour and nearly Rs 9 crore for a six-hour sitting day, irrespective of whether legislative business is conducted.
Based on these estimates, a Parliament session with 15 to 20 sitting days costs roughly Rs 135 crore to Rs 180 crore, with the expenditure covering infrastructure, security, staff salaries, Members’ allowances, utilities and other operational expenses.
Some reports also note that if disruptions continue through an entire session, the notional loss can run into tens of crores depending on the number of hours wasted.
Estimated Expenditure
Per minute: Rs 2.5 lakh
Per hour: Rs 1.5 crore
Per six-hour sitting day: Rs 9 crore
Per 15–20-day session: Rs 135 crore–Rs 180 crore or more
Parliament’s Monsoon Session, which began on July 20, is scheduled to continue till August 13 with 19 sittings over 25 days. Friday marked the fifth consecutive day that proceedings in the Lok Sabha have been hit by the paper leak row, with the Opposition continuing to insist that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign, even as the government has repeatedly said that they are ready for a discussion.
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre…Read More
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