Budget session of Parl begins today, Prez to address joint sitting

NEW DELHI: The budget session of Parliament will commence on Tuesday with address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of two Houses of Parliament. Economic Survey will also be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday ahead of Union Budget on Wednesday.

It will be first address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. She was elected President last year. There will be a separate sitting of the Rajya Sabha for the transaction of government business, half an hour after the conclusion of the President's Address on January 31.

However, the sitting will be held for a short duration as per procedures for the transaction of government business. The session will take place in two parts with the first part concluding on February 13. The second part will be held from March 13 and will conclude on April 6.

The government held an all-party meeting on Monday in which the opposition parties raised issues of their concern. The first part of the session would also see discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President Address. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the debate in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The government will also push its legislative agenda in the budget session. According to government records, 26 Bills are currently pending in the Rajya Sabha and nine in the Lok Sabha.

Amongst the 26 Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha, three Bills have already been passed by Lok Sabha including the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022.

The bills which haven't been referred to any parliamentary scrutiny and are pending for passage include the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council (Repeal) Bill, 2012, the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies (Third) Bill, 2013, the Delhi Rent (Repeal) Bill, 2013, and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019.