RS chair meets party leaders before budget

UNION FINANCE MINISTER NIRMALA SITHARAMAN WILL PRESENT THE BUDGET FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2020-21 ON MONDAY. HER SPEECH IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AT 11 AM IN LOK SABHA

NEW DELHI: Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday held a meeting with leaders of various political parties at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hall in his residence.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget for the financial year 2020-21 on Monday. Her speech is expected to begin at 11 am in Lok Sabha.

As many as 16 Opposition parties boycotted President Ram Nath Kovind’s address in Parliament to register their protest against farm laws on the first day of the budget session.

Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said that the government is ready to answer all questions of the Opposition in the second half of the ongoing budget session of Parliament.

“First half of the budget session is for the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address and discussion. The second is for discussion over budget and any urgent bill. In the remaining second half of the session, let them ask whatever they want to, the government is ready to answer,” Joshi told reporters here. Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. On January 29, the Economic Survey 2020-21 was tabled in the Parliament.

The Indian economy can contract by 7.7% in the current financial year ending on March 31 and the growth could be 11% in the next financial year, according to the Economic Survey. The first part of the budget session will continue till February 15. The second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.

CPI(M)’s RS MP KK Ragesh tests Covid +ve

Rajya Sabha MP of the CPI(M) KK Ragesh, a familiar face at the ongoing farmers’ protest, has tested positive for Covid-19 and has been admitted to the Medanta hospital in Gurugram, according to a Facebook post by the Left leader.

Ragesh informed on the social media platform that he was regularly tested for Covid-19 and the results were always negative. Even on January 27, he tested negative for the viral disease in Parliament and also on January 29, when he took part in an Opposition protest. He tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday after he got himself tested as he was suffering from high fever, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said.

He appealed to everyone who came in contact with him to be alert and get tested if needed.

Another CPI(M) MP, K Somaprasad, has also tested positive for Covid-19. This is the second time that the Rajya Sabha member has contracted the disease. He is currently in Kerala.