Govt ready for discussion on various issues in House: PM
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told an all-party meeting ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parlianment that the Union government was ready for a healthy and meaningful discussion in the House on various issues.
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi quoted the Prime Minister at the meeting to say that the various floor leaders were told that the government was ready for a healthy and meaningful discussion on various issues raised as per rules and procedures.
At the meeting attended by 33 parties, the Modi said suggestions from public representatives, especially from the Opposition, are valuable as they make the discussion rich.
The meeting was held a day ahead of the Monsoon Session and was attended by Prime Minister Modi and floor leaders of various political parties.
An all-party meeting is a customary procedure that occurs before the beginning of every session of Parliament to ensure its smooth functioning.
Besides Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister and leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and parliamentary affairs minister Joshi were present at the meeting.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also attended the meeting.
Floor leaders of all prominent opposition parties, including Derek O’ Brien from the Trinamool Congress, Tiruchi Siva from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party’s Satish Mishra were also present.
Apna Dal leader and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Anupriya Patel and Lok Janshakti Party leader Pashupati Paras also attended the meeting.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament will start from Monday and is scheduled to conclude on August 13.
On Day 1 of the session, the Prime Minister will introduce the newly inducted ministers to both the Houses.
It is the convention that after the formation of a new government or an expansion or reshuffle in the Union council of ministers, the PM introduces new ministers in both the Houses.
Modi on July 7 inducted 36 new faces into his council of ministers, promoted seven junior ministers (to independent or Cabinet roles), and dropped 12 ministers, including the ministers of health, education, information technology, law, environment and information and broadcasting, in his biggest reshuffle ever in the past seven years, and the first major one of his second term.
Some new members who recently entered Lok Sabha following bypolls would also take oath as members of the Lower House on Monday.
Representatives of various parties told Vice President and
Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu during a meeting on Saturday that the Centre’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic, price rise, the ongoing farmers’ agitation and implications of US troops pulling out of Afghanistan will be the focus of the Opposition strategy during the monsoon session,
During the meeting, the Opposition members also underlined the need for more scrutiny of bills by parliamentary committees.