The Rajya Sabha today bid farewell to 53 of its members from 14 states who are retiring between June and July this year. <br/><br/>They included 13 from Congress, 11 from BJP, six from BSP, five from JD(U), three each from AIADMK and Samajwadi Party, two each from TDP, DMK, BJD and NCP, one each from Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal and two Independents. <br/><br/>In his farewell address, Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari said parting is painful, more so, when it involves a colleague and a friend, a member of the fraternity. He said every retiring member has contributed significantly to the functioning of the House. <br/><br/>In this process they have strengthened Parliamentary democracy. The Chairman said they are leaving behind an indelible legacy that will continue to enrich parliamentary proceedings in the future. <br/><br/>Deputy Chairman P J Kurien wished the retiring members all success in their public life observing that no politician retires. <br/><br/>Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Rajya Sabha has the privilege to bid farewell to its retiring members unlike the Lok Sabha. He said the members had the opportunity to experience two successive governments in the last six years. They were party to all major decisions. <br/><br/>But Mr Modi regretted that the House could not clear the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2016. He underlined that the GST Bill would have immensely benefited all the states, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He said had the Afforestation Fund Bill 2016 been passed, all the states would have gained 42 thousand crore rupees, each getting between two and three thousand crore rupees.<br/><br/>The bill intended to allocate funds under the public accounts of the Centre as well as the states for compensatory afforestation. <br/><br/>The legislation, passed by the Lok Sabha, envisages strengthening the Green India programme, wild life protection and other related activities. <br/><br/>Anand Sharma of the Congress said that there is no room for bitterness in Parliamentary practice. He said consensus is the most important aspect in Parliament, which led to the unanimous solution to the land boundary dispute between India and Bangladesh and the passage of the long-pending Insurance Regulatory Development Authority Bill.<br/><br/>Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party complained that judicial activism is encroaching on legislative space. Sharad Yadav (JD-U) demanded media's accountability in news coverage. <br/><br/>Mayawati of the BSP favoured unanimity on the Goods and Services Tax Bill.

The Rajya Sabha today bid farewell to 53 of its members from 14 states who are retiring between June and July this year. <br/><br/>They included 13 from Congress, 11 from BJP, six from BSP, five from JD(U), three each from AIADMK and Samajwadi Party, two each from TDP, DMK, BJD and NCP, one each from Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal and two Independents. <br/><br/>In his farewell address, Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari said parting is painful, more so, when it involves a colleague and a friend, a member of the fraternity. He said every retiring member has contributed significantly to the functioning of the House. <br/><br/>In this process they have strengthened Parliamentary democracy. The Chairman said they are leaving behind an indelible legacy that will continue to enrich parliamentary proceedings in the future. <br/><br/>Deputy Chairman P J Kurien wished the retiring members all success in their public life observing that no politician retires. <br/><br/>Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Rajya Sabha has the privilege to bid farewell to its retiring members unlike the Lok Sabha. He said the members had the opportunity to experience two successive governments in the last six years. They were party to all major decisions. <br/><br/>But Mr Modi regretted that the House could not clear the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2016. He underlined that the GST Bill would have immensely benefited all the states, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He said had the Afforestation Fund Bill 2016 been passed, all the states would have gained 42 thousand crore rupees, each getting between two and three thousand crore rupees.<br/><br/>The bill intended to allocate funds under the public accounts of the Centre as well as the states for compensatory afforestation. <br/><br/>The legislation, passed by the Lok Sabha, envisages strengthening the Green India programme, wild life protection and other related activities. <br/><br/>Anand Sharma of the Congress said that there is no room for bitterness in Parliamentary practice. He said consensus is the most important aspect in Parliament, which led to the unanimous solution to the land boundary dispute between India and Bangladesh and the passage of the long-pending Insurance Regulatory Development Authority Bill.<br/><br/>Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party complained that judicial activism is encroaching on legislative space. Sharad Yadav (JD-U) demanded media's accountability in news coverage. <br/><br/>Mayawati of the BSP favoured unanimity on the Goods and Services Tax Bill.