BUDGET Session of Parliament Commences After LS Poll
BUDGET Session of Parliament Commences After LS PollThe Budget Session of India’s Parliament commenced on Monday, June 17, with the swearing in of the newly elected Members of the 17th Lok Sabha including Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Union Council of Ministers by Protem Speaker Dr Virendra Kumar Khatik, seven -time MP from Madhya Pradesh. The session will be opened formally by President of India Ram Nath Kovind and continue till 26 July for the passage of the Union Railway Budgets besides seeking approval of the ordinances promulgated by The President on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet, other legislative businesses and discussion on issues related to public interest. These include the Ordinance on controversial Triple Talaq Bill invalidating instant divorce and seeking to provide financial assistance by their husbands. The Government will also seek approval for The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill proposing to shorten the period of granting Indian citizenship to the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians who had no other option but to leave Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh and take shelter in India due to persecution. The CAB was adopted by the 16th Lok Sabha but failed to be passed by the Rajya Sabha due to opposition by the Congress, TMC and some other opposition groups.PM Narendra Modi and BJP National President Amit Shah, now Union Home Minister, had assured the displaced persons during Lok Sabha election campaign that the NDA government would enact the CAB, if it was voted back to power. The bill also was opposed by some north-eastern states ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The Budget for the current fiscal will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 5 ‘in the Lok Sabha highlighting government’s proposal to tackle rural distress and growing joblessness in time-bund programs in the country amidst world economic slowdown.Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind sworn in seven-term member of Parliament Virendra Kumar as the pro-tem speaker of Lok Sabha on Monday. Kumar will oversee the oath-taking of newly elected Lok Sabha members on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, as soon as a new speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha is elected, his role will cease to exist. Kumar, 65, won the Lok Sabha election from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh on a BJP ticket. He was a Minister of State in the previous Modi government. Union Minister Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, received the longest applause when she took oath as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha on Monday in Hindi. As soon as she was called for oath taking, ruling BJP members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, other Union Ministers and MPs were seen enthusiastically thumping the desk for a long time. Earlier, PM Modi interacted with media and hoped smooth functioning of parliament Session.