2nd half begins, Birla seeks healthy dialogue
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the commencement of the second half of the Budget session, Lok Sabha Speaker On Birla on Monday expressed hope for a healthy and result-oriented discussion by the members. “The second half of the Budget session of Parliament is commencing today. I hope with the active participation and positive contribution of the members of the House, healthy and resultoriented discussion for the welfare of people will take place,” Birla tweeted.
Amid declining Covid-19 cases in the country, the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha are set to resume their normal sittings for the second part of the Budget session.
However, the two Houses will continue with most of the restrictions, following the Covid-19 protocol, seen in the earlier parts of the Parliament sessions.
The two Houses of Parliament will continue to follow the social distancing norms in the seating arrangements of the members by utilizing both the chambers and visitors’ galleries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a rousing welcome by BJP members in the Lok
Sabha on Monday, the after party’s impressive performance in the assembly polls. The prime minister entered the House minutes after the proceedings began and immediately all MPs belonging to the BJP gave him a standing ovation and thumped desks while chanting “Modi, Modi”.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other opposition leaders were present in the House.
Modi entered the House when Speaker Om Birla was speaking about a Parliamentary delegation from Austria which witnessed the proceedings of the
House from a ‘special box’.
After the prime minister, Union ministers and the BJP MPs settled down, the Speaker, while welcoming the Austrian delegation, extended greetings of the House as well as the people of India to the Austrian Parliament, the Austrian government and the people of Austria.
The delegation was led by President of the National Council of Austria Wolfgang Sobotka.
Birla said the team arrived in India on March 13 and have already visited Agra. They will proceed to Hyderabad before returning to Austria on March 17.