Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday announced that the regular sitting of the Rajya Sabha will be cancelled on March 17 due to 'Chhoti Holi' or Holika Dahan.
With this announcement made during its proceedings, the Upper House will observe two official holidays on March 17 and March 18 on the occasion of Holi. Besides, the functioning of the House will not take place on March 19 and March 20 due to weekends.
"Sitting of Rajya Sabha will be cancelled on March 17 due to Chhoti Holi," said Naidu in the middle of Zero Hour.
Naidu made the announcement a few minutes after the House Assembled for the day at 11 am to resume the second part of the Budget Session, which is slated to conclude on April 8.
The Budget Session started on January 31 and culminated on February 11 to take one month break.
Earlier today, Naidu offered obituary references with profound sorrow to the passing away of former Members of this House-- Nabin Chandra Buragohain, Rahul Bajaj, Prof DP Chattopadhyaya and Yadlapati Venkat Rao.
Buragohain passed away on May 28, 2021, at the age of 98 years. Born in March 1923, at Pirakata Village in the Jorhat district of Assam, Buragohain was educated at the Cotton College, Guwahati and the Aligarh Muslim University.
He took a keen interest in the activities of educational and youth organizations and was actively involved in the development of agriculture and the welfare of the backward classes.
Buragohain served as a Member of this House representing the State of Assam from April 1972 to April 1978.
Bajaj passed away on February 12, at the age of 83 years. Born in June 1938, at Kolkata in West Bengal, Bajaj was educated at the Delhi University, the University of Mumbai and the Harvard University, USA.
An ardent proponent of the development of domestic industries to achieve self-reliance, Bajaj was also the recipient of Padma Bhushan in the year 2001. He served as a Member of this House representing the State of Maharashtra from June 2006 to July 2010.
Chattopadhyaya passed away on February 13, 2022, at the age of 88 years. Born in November 1933 at Barisal, now in Bangladesh, Chattopadhyaya was educated at the Krishnanagar Government College, West Bengal; the University of Calcutta, Kolkata and the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom.
An educationist, Chattopadhyaya was also the recipient of Padma Vibushan in the year 2009. He represented West Bengal in this House for two terms, from July 1969 to July 1975 and again from July 1975 to July 1981. He served as Minister of State holding portfolios of Health and Family Planning, Works and Housing, and Commerce and as the Minister of Commerce in the Union Council of Ministers from 1971 to 1977.
Rao passed away on February 28, at the age of 102 years. Born in December 1919, at Bodapadu Village in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, Rao has worked assiduously for the uplift of weaker sections of the society and the development of agriculture. He represented the State of Andhra Pradesh in this House from April 1998 to April 2004.
( With inputs from ANI )
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