Govt mulls curtailing budget session
nNEW DELHI: The government and the Opposition parties are set to have a fresh discussion on Monday morning over the latter’s demand for early curtailment of the ongoing budget session. The Budget session, which resumed on March 2 after the recess, is scheduled to end on April 3.
In what may be seen as an indication of the government strategy vis-à-vis the continuation of the session, the Finance Bill 2020 has been listed for passage in Lok Sabha on Monday. Last week it was dropped from the list and four other bills were added in the government’s agenda.
Passage of the finance bill is the last step of getting Parliament’s approval for the budget-a mandatory step for the government.
A key official told HT that parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi came and met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday
afternoon and their discussions also veered on the Opposition’s demand over curtailing the session in the wake of the COVID19 outbreak.
“The Speaker is set to talk to Opposition leaders and government managers on Monday. There is a possibility that the government may have a rethink about the continuation of the ongoing budget session,” said a senior official. Another official added that neither any formal order nor any file has been moved so far, indicating that any decision, if at all taken, will happen only after discussions on Monday.
Opposition leaders cutting across political lines have been demanding that the session should end as such a large gathering in Parliament goes against the health advisories issued by the government itself.
Earlier in the day, at least half of Indian Parliament’s 2000 midlevel officials has been asked to work from home.
Weeks after the two Houses of Parliament restricted the number of visitors, the authorities now want to reduce the presence of its massive workforce amid vehement appeals of social distancing by experts and political leaders. Parliament officials who are coming to work, have been allowed flexible working hours and can go home early. Trinamool Congress’ Lok Sabha floor leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said, “We are vehemently in support of curtailment of the House in this extraordinary situation. We have expressed our views to the Speaker as well as the government.”