New Delhi, April 26
Lack of quorum today forced the Chair to adjourn the Lok Sabha abruptly this afternoon at 4.45 pm during the discussion on the finance Bill.

Despite the repeated efforts by the government and BJP Chief Whip Vijay Kumar Malhotra the requisite numbers could not be mustered. Even the quorum bells rung several times on the insistence of members from the Congress benches failed to make an impact as many members had left for their constituencies.

Parliamentary veterans said this was for the first time that the House had been adjourned for the lack of quorum during the discussion on the all-important finance Bill.

The issue was raised first just before 4.30 pm, when Mr Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary of the Congress was on his legs, by his senior party colleague, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, who said it was a matter of shame that the number of members in the House was less than 20 and only Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha was to be seen with even the Parliamentary Affairs Minister being absent. Under the rules, the House must have a quorum of one-tenth members at any time.

When some members from the treasury benches, including a member of the National Conference sought to say that the Congress itself did not have a good record, Congress member Pawan Kumar Bansal who had initiated the discussion called for the quorum.

Thereupon, Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh who was in the Chair called for the bell to be rung and said nothing would go on record till the quorum was fulfilled.

Although some members trickled in, the number could not go beyond 37, which is below the one-tenth strength (54). When this was pointed out to him, he adjourned the House till Monday, April 29.