Parliament House ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament in New Delhi on January 30, 2023. Photo Credit: PTI
budget session The proceedings of Parliament begin on Tuesday with the first address of President Draupadi Murmu in the joint sitting of both the Houses.
While the government’s priority will be to get approval on the motion of thanks to the President’s address and the Finance Bill, the opposition is pushing for it to be moved on a number of issues, including Adani-Hindenburg disputeA nationwide caste-based economic census and the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the last full Union Budget of the Modi government before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on February 1.
The Economic Survey will be presented on Tuesday after the President’s address.
The government plans to introduce around 36 bills during the session – including four related to the budgetary exercise.
The session will have 27 sittings and will run till April 6 with a break of one month for examination of the budget papers.
The first part of the session will end on February 14. Parliament will resume on March 12 for the second part of the budget session.
In an all-party meeting called on Monday, the government said it was ready to discuss every issue under the rules during the budget session of Parliament.
“We seek the cooperation of the opposition,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said after the meeting, which was attended by 37 leaders representing 27 parties, including Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. .
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In the meeting, Sanjay Singh of Aam Aadmi Party, Manoj Jha of RJD, DMK, Left parties and others raised the Adani issue and demanded a discussion on it in Parliament during the session.
America’s short seller Hindenburg Research has accused Adani Group Wrongdoing like stock manipulation, The company has dismissed the allegations as “nothing but lies”.
Parties like the BRS and the DMK raised the issue of the conduct of the governors in the states ruled by them.
YSR Congress demanded a nationwide caste-based economic census. “It is necessary to know the economic status of ‘backward’ backward castes on social and development indicators,” the party said.
YSR Congress leader Vijaysai Reddy said the backward castes constitute more than 50 per cent of the total population and the census would help ascertain their economic status.
The ruling party in Andhra Pradesh has joined the likes of the JD(U) and the RJD, both of which have demanded a caste census.
The grand alliance government in Bihar has launched a statewide caste survey.
Mr Reddy said his party also demanded passage of the Women’s Quota Bill to ensure reservation for women in Parliament. Parties including BRS, TMC and BJD also supported the demand.