The monsoon session of Parliament will begin on September 14. (Archive)
Highlight
- The Business Advisory Committee will discuss the agenda for the session today.
- The government has been firm in its decision not to resume Question Time
- This is the first session after 20 soldiers died in June in Ladakh.
New Delhi:
The traditional meeting of all parties before a session of parliament has been scrapped for the monsoon session, which starts tomorrow. The deviation from the convention, probably the first in two decades, is seen as an indication of the growing differences between the opposition and the chairman of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla.
The Spokesperson has called a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee at 11 am today to discuss the agenda for the session, which ends on October 1.
At today’s meeting, issues such as the abolition of Question Time and the reduction of zero hour are likely to be raised. The government has remained firm in its decision not to resume Question Time, which has generated much resentment among opposition deputies.
A decision on the discussion on the Indochina standoff, the contraction of the economy and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic will be issues the opposition is expected to raise.
The government has to decide whether to accept these short-term discussions without voting. In 2017, citing national security, the government refused to speak about Doklam.
Parliament was suspended indefinitely in March, days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
This is also the first session of parliament to take place after 20 soldiers died in the line of duty in Ladakh amid clashes with China. The death at the Royal Line of Control, the de facto border between the two nations, in June is the first in four decades and the government may have a hard time avoiding a discussion on the issue.
Before the session, all members of parliament were asked to get tested for COVID-19. The pandemic has overshadowed the monsoon session, with at least seven union ministers and two dozen lawmakers recovering from COVID-19. Around 200 of the 785 parliamentarians are over 65, the population vulnerable to the coronavirus.
The session will have Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha working separate shifts and there will be special seats for MPs to ensure distancing. Lok Sabha will sit from 9 am to 1 pm on the first day and from 3 pm to 7 pm until October 1. Rajya Sabha will sit from 3 pm to 7 pm on the first day and from 9 am to 1 pm the rest of the days. Weekends will be working days.
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