Budget session of Parliament begins tomorrow, Govt ready to discuss Opp’s issues

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government today asserted that it was as much concerned by recent incidents in different universities as any other party and urged the Parliament to thoroughly discuss their causes and consequences and show the way forward.

Addressing the Leaders of different Parties in both the Houses of Parliament ahead of the Budget session beginning tomorrow, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu assured the leaders that the Government would enable discussion on all issues including the incidents in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Hyderabad Central University, demands for reservation etc.

Naidu further said that the Government was committed to uphold the Constitution in letter and spirit and firmly believed in peace, unity and integration of the Nation as the key operational principles for delivering on the development promised to the people.

The Minister said “the Parliament is the forum for expression of collective wisdom of the country and showing the way forward in the larger interest of the Nation”.

Stating that time has come for taking forward long pending major Bills related to introduction of GST and Real Estate Regulator, Naidu appealed for cooperation in passing these Bills during this Budget session.

About 40 Leaders of 26 parties in both the Houses of Parliament attended today’s meeting convened by Naidu.

Several leaders expressed concern over declining image of the Parliament among the public and insisted on its smooth functioning since the Government was ready for discussion on issues to be raised by different parties.

Mallikarjuna Kharge, a leader from the Congress party said his party would cooperate in passing the Bills if the issues sought to be raised by the opposition are enabled to be discussed thoroughly. He added the Bills on which there was a  broad consensus could be taken up for consideration and passing in the first phase of the Session during February 23-March 16, 2016 and others during the second phase of the session between April 25 and May 13, 2016.

Issues suggested to be discussed by different parties included incidents in JNU and Hyderabad Central University, demands for reservation, terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab, passing on the benefits of reduction in crude prices to the common man, unemployment, arrest of Tamil fishermen by Sri Lankan forces, North-East issues, implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act etc.

Naidu informed the leaders that the Government had prioritised 32 Business items for the Budget session beginning tomorrow which include 11 Bills pending in Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha.