M A I N   N E W S

Budget session from tomorrow
Oppn to corner govt on inflation, rail fare hike
Speaker meets leaders of various parties to ensure smooth LS session
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

PM Modi and BJP veteran LK Advani didn’t attend the meeting called by the Speaker. They, however, came for the lunch hosted by her. Modi broke the past tradition of the PM making a statement to the media post the event.

The Speaker herself preferred brevity evading questions on whether the Congress would get the post of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. Government sources said: “People have not given the Congress enough numbers to even command the LoP post.”

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu remained silent on the matter so did the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

The government, on its part, said it would make a statement in Parliament on the Indians trapped in Iraq; will bring an Act replacing the TRAI ordinance amended earlier to appoint former TRAI chairman Nripendra Mishra as PM’s principal secretary; another in respect of Polavaram irrigation project under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and a Commerce Ministry Bill to set up a National Institute of Design.

“The PM has said the government is willing to discuss all issues as per procedures,” said Naidu.

The Speaker will also call a meeting to address issues such as the allotment of office rooms to parties in the Parliament complex. TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee said, “Parties with improved numbers must get due attention in room allotments. The Speaker will call a separate meeting on the issue.”

28-day session, 168 working hours

• The 28-day Budget session will have 168 working hours. The focus would be on the Rail Budget (July 8), the Economic Survey (July 9) and the General Budget on July 10.
• This will be the first Budget of the Narendra Modi-led government
• Since the Lok Sabha has not yet constituted parliamentary committees, Budget discussions on specific ministries will have to happen in the two Houses

Cong insists on Leader of Oppn post
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 5
Amid indications that the government was disinterested in giving it the Leader of Opposition’s post in the Lok Sabha, the Congress has decided to take up the issue with Speaker Sumitra Majahan on Monday.

The decision was taken today at a meeting of the Congress’ parliament strategy group headed by party chief Sonia Gandhi. The meeting was attended by former PM Manmohan Singh, party vice- president Rahul Gandhi, Congress’ Leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad, respectively, Deputy Leaders Capt Amarinder Singh and Anand Sharma, respectively and Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel. Also present were party chief whips in the LS and the RS – Jyotiraditya Scindia and Satyavrat Chaturvedi.

After the meeting, Amarinder told The Tribune, “Our leader in the LS and Chief Whip Jyotiraditya Scindia will meet the Speaker on Monday.”

The party will on Monday stake a formal claim for the post of Leader of Opposition arguing on four grounds — 10% MP strength in the LS, which the BJP is touting as a requirement for the post, is not a requirement under the LoPs Salaries and Allowances Act, 1977 which defines the LoP as leader of the single largest party in Opposition to the government as recognised by the Speaker; the Congress is part of a pre-poll alliance UPA with over 55 MPs (even if 10% strength of LS is to be taken as a ground); the party has 19% vote share while the BJP in the last LS got the LoP’s post with 18% vote share; LoP’s appointment is constitutionally essential for the selection of authorities like the Lokpal and the CBI director etc.