Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on Tuesday. The Monsoon Session of Parliament, however, will commence on Monday. The opposition is gearing up to confront the NDA government on several issues, including the NEET paper leak, railway safety, and the UP government's decision regarding the Kanwar Yatra. Prior to the session, the central government convened an all-party meeting on Sunday. Various political leaders attended the meeting, including BJP's President JP Nadda, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, and Union Minister Chirag Paswan.
Source: aajtak
During the all-party meeting ahead of the parliament session, JDU and YSRCP demanded special state status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting. TMC did not attend the meeting, nor did Jeetan Ram Manjhi and Jayant Chaudhary from the ruling NDA alliance. Sources indicate that the Samajwadi Party raised the issue of the Kanwar Yatra, stating that the nameplate decision was 'completely wrong.'
Government May Introduce 6 Bills
The parliament session starting Monday will continue until August 12, with a total of 19 meetings scheduled. It is expected that six bills, including one to replace a 90-year-old Aircraft Act, will be presented by the government. The parliament approval for Jammu and Kashmir's budget is also on the agenda. Anticipate some disruptions from the opposition. Before presenting the budget on Tuesday, Finance Minister Sitharaman will present the Economic Survey on Monday.
Understanding the Economic Survey
The Economic Survey acts as a report card for the government, detailing the previous financial year's performance. The first Economic Survey was presented in 1950-51. Since 1964, it has been customary to present it a day before the budget. This allows the public to understand the true state of the economy, as well as the challenges and solutions outlined by the government. The survey provides insights into inflation, unemployment, and gives an idea about investment, savings, and expenditure. For instance, if the government's focus is on infrastructure, it can attract investors to that sector. The survey also offers information about government policies and the future economic outlook, which is why presenting it before the budget has become a tradition.
Bills on the Agenda
The listed bills during the session include the Finance Bill, Disaster Management Bill, Boilers Bill, Indian Aircraft Bill, Coffee Promotion and Development Bill, and Rubber Promotion and Development Bill. The session will include discussions and votes on Demand for Grants and the passing of the Appropriation Bill. The budget for Jammu and Kashmir will also be discussed and passed.
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Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has formed the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) to set the parliamentary agenda. Om Birla will chair the committee. Fourteen MPs from various political parties have been nominated to this committee, including Nishikant Dubey, Anurag Singh Thakur, Bhartruhari Mahtab, PP Chaudhary, Bijayan Panda, and Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal from BJP. Congress's K Suresh, Gaurav Gogoi, TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay, DMK's Dayanidhi Maran, and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Arvind Sawant are also part of the committee.
Naveen Patnaik's Pre-Budget Remarks
Odisha's former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has announced it will play a strong opposition role in Parliament, aggressively raising issues of state interest. Patnaik has directed his party MPs to demand special state status for Odisha.
Congress's Stand
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has stated that the opposition will oppose any government move to reduce its stake in public sector banks below 51%. The government might introduce amendments to the Banking Regulation Act of 1949 and other laws like the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act of 1970 and 1980 during the budget session, which could lower the government’s stake in PSBs below 51%.
