The government appears troubled by the looming spectre of turmoil spilling over into the next session of Parliament to spoil the solemnity of the tabling of the annual Budget in end-February.

"Do not they know the importance of the annual Budget?" parliamentary affairs minister P K Bansal shot back when asked about the possibility of the spectacle of obstruction and adjournments that may plague the next session.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar urged both the government and Opposition to evolve a `middle path' to make sure that the next session was not marred by turmoil. "That's the essence of democracy," she said.

"It has been a sad experience for me and I hope that Parliament functions smoothly in the future," she said.

The Opposition BJP has not given any assurance that the Budget session being convened towards the end of February won't be another washout in the event of a standoff with the government.

"We are not giving up the demand for a JPC probe, so it all depends on the government stand," BJP deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia said when asked about the prospects of the Budget session being paralysed by protests.

Kumar pointed to the larger issue of doubts being raised about the effectiveness of the Parliamentary system. "It is our responsibility to ensure that people's faith in the democratic system is kept intact," she said. In a telling comment on the chaotic mood in the Rajya Sabha all through the session, chairman Hamid Ansari said, "Peace prevailed only when obituaries were read."