The government has arranged an all-party meeting scheduled for July 21 in preparation for the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will host this meeting, gathering the floor leaders of various political parties to gauge the matters they intend to address during the ensuing Monsoon Session that is set to commence on July 22 and last for 19 sittings until August 12. An essential aspect of this meeting is the anticipated attendance of Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, marking his initial participation in such discussions.
Nonetheless, sources from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have opted not to partake in the meeting, attributing their absence to the commemoration of Martyrs Day on July 21. This day honors the memory of 13 Congress supporters who tragically lost their lives in a Kolkata Police firing incident back in 1993, which transpired during a march towards the state secretariat, Writers Buildings, while under the governance of the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in West Bengal. The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, is scheduled to deliver the Union Budget on the first day of the session and will also present the Economic Survey in Parliament on July 22.
Expectations surround the government's intent to introduce six bills during the session, one of which aims to replace the age-old Aircraft Act. Additionally, they seek to secure Parliament's approval for the budget of Jammu and Kashmir, currently under central administration. Meanwhile, Naveen Patnaik, the former Chief Minister of Odisha and BJP leader, has urged his party's MPs to advocate for the special category status for Odisha, indicating the diverse range of topics likely to be addressed during the forthcoming session.