Budget Session to be curtailed due to polls?
A talk of curtailing the Budget Session of Parliament is gaining ground in the ruling Congress-led UPA because of the Assembly elections in five states. The total strength of these states in the Lok Sabha alone is 116.
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry are going to the polls in the next couple of months. While West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats, Tamil Nadu has 39 seats. And the strength of Kerala is 20, Assam 14 and Puducherry one.
The Congress, Left, the Trinamul Congress, the DMK and the AIADMK have major stakes in these polls.
The government has received several suggestions in this regard from MPs. They include the government can cancel the recess — from March 16 to April 4 (20 days) given to examine the demands for grants relating to various ministries in the department related parliamentary standing committees and thus allowed the session to continue without a break and pass the budget after discussion.
Else, the recess can be reduced. And standing committees should be asked examine the demands for grants relating to various ministries within a week.
As per the schedule, the session which commenced on February 21, would adjourn on March 16.
The two Houses of Parliament would reassemble on April 4. The session would conclude on April 21, sources said.
A clear picture in this regard will emerge only after the announcement of the schedule of the elections expected in the first week of next month.
Meanwhile, the government made it clear that it cannot bring women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha during the session unless it evolves consensus among the major parties. This is because it is a constitution amendment bill.
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