New Delhi: The Parliament’s Budget session beginning on Tuesday is expected to be stormy with the Opposition seeking to raise several issues, including those related to Adani Group stocks and the controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. The session will start with a joint address to the two Houses of Parliament by President Droupadi Murmu followed by the table of the economic survey 2023 by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, a day before the Union Budget will be presented.
During the session, the government’s priority will be to seek approval on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address and the finance bill, while the Opposition is looking to corner it on issues such the Adani-Hindenburg controversy, a nationwide caste-based economic census and the women’s reservation bill.
The economic survey will be tabled on Tuesday after the President’s address at 11am.
Sitharaman will present the last full-fledged Union Budget of the Narendra Modi government before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on February 1.
The government plans to bring around 36 bills, including four related to the budgetary exercise, during the session.
The session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6 with a month-long recess to examine the budget papers. The first part of the session will conclude on February 14. Parliament will reconvene on March 12 for the second part of the Budget Session.
The government held an all-party meeting on Monday in which the opposition parties raised issues of their concern. Opposition leaders brought up issues like Adani stocks, the BBC documentary ban and alleged interference by Governors in states ruled by opposition parties. The parties that raised the issue included RJD, CPI-M, CPI, AAP and National Conference.
The BRS has decided to boycott the customary address by President Murmu.