Parliament Monsoon Session begins today: Centre lines up 32 bills, Opposition to raise inflation, Agnipath issues

The Monsoon Session of the Parliament is all set to begin on Monday, July 18. There will be 18 sittings during the session and a total time of 108 hours will be available.

The session which begins today is scheduled to continue till August 12. The business for the session includes 14 pending bills and 24 new bills.

Moreover, the Opposition will corner the government on a host of issues including related to the economy, security, federal structure and the Agnipath recruitment scheme during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The row over listing unparliamentary words and circulars disallowing any protest and dharna on the Parliament complex has already set the temperatures soaring, with both the Opposition and the government targeting each other at a pre-session all-party meeting Sunday.

The government while accusing the Opposition of raising “non-issues” said it was ready to discuss all matters within parliamentary rules and regulations and sought the cooperation of all parties for a smooth session.

Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu also sought the cooperation of all parties and said a good monsoon session would be a “farewell gift” for him.

32 bills in Monsoon Session

The government said it will bring 32 bills during the session, of which 14 are ready. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi asserted the government wants discussions on all of them in a democratic way.

Joshi also said some of these bills have already been discussed by standing committees of Parliament.

The bill includes Cantonment Bill, the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill and the one aimed at regulating digital media for the first time in India.

What is on the Opposition’s agenda?

Leaders of various Opposition parties demanded that issues of price rise, ‘Agnipath’ scheme as well as the alleged misuse of investigative agencies be taken up, and also raised objections to the list of “unparliamentary words” at the all-party meeting convened by the government.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge asked how 32 bills, lined up by the government, will get passed in 14 days in Parliament and said, “What is the government is trying to do?”