Government Convenes All-Party Meeting Ahead of Budget Session
The Indian government has called an all-party meeting on July 21st, 2023, in preparation for the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has invited floor leaders of all political parties to discuss the issues they wish to raise during the session.
The Monsoon Session is scheduled to begin on July 22nd and will continue until August 12th, with a total of 19 sittings. This session holds particular significance as it will mark the expected first attendance of Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
However, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced that they will not be attending the meeting due to July 21st being Martyrs' Day. This day is observed annually in memory of 13 Congress supporters who were tragically killed in 1993 during a Kolkata Police firing incident. The incident occurred during a march to the state secretariat, Writers' Buildings, under the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in West Bengal.
The first day of the session will see Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman present the Union Budget. She will also table the Economic Survey in Parliament on the same day.
The government is expected to present six bills during the session, including one to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act. They will also seek Parliament's approval for the budget of Jammu and Kashmir, which is currently under central rule.
Meanwhile, former Odisha chief minister and BJP leader Naveen Patnaik has instructed his party MPs to raise the demand for special category status for Odisha during the session.