PM Narendra Modi to chair all-party meet to discuss agenda for Budget Session

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair an all-party meeting to discuss the agenda for the Budget Session on January 30, a day after the session begins. Usually, the customary meeting takes place before the session starts.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told the news agency that floor leaders from all the parties had been invited for the meeting.

"The all-party meeting will be held on January 30, where government will put forth its legislative business for the Parliament session and would also listen to the Opposition's suggestions," he said. Joshi added that the meeting will be held virtually in view of the coronavirus crisis. On Tuesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had announced that the session will be held with staggered timings and physical distancing rules in place. All MPs will be asked to undergo coronavirus tests before the session.

The Budget Session will be conducted in two parts. The first phase will begin on January 29 and end on February 15. The second phase will run from March 8 to April 8. The Union budget will be presented in Parliament on February 1. The Lok Sabha Speaker also said that the Question Hour, which had been cancelled during the Monsoon session in September, would be allowed for a fixed duration of one hour.

The Centre had been heavily criticised by the Opposition for scrapping the Question Hour. In December, the Centre had announced that there will be no Winter Session of Parliament this time because of the coronavirus crisis. The Monsoon session had also ended seven days ahead of schedule on September 23 due to rising Covid cases.