The budget session of Parliament will start on July 22 and end on August 12, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Saturday.
The session will see the government presenting its first full budget after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the economic survey, and potentially a host of crucial legislative business.
“All members should uphold the dignity of the House by following rules and procedures,” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, speaking in the context of the turbulent inaugural session of the current Lower House earlier this month.
In the last session, the Opposition created ruckus in both Houses, disrupted Prime Minister’s reply to the debate on President’s speech in one House, and walked out in another when the Leader of Opposition was not allowed to intervene during the PM’s speech.
A bigger Opposition bloc of 236 MPs led by LoP Rahul Gandhi was aggressive against the government, raising a host of issues such as the botched NEET exams to demand the government hold a debate, creating a situation in which work in the Lower House was washed out for a day.
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On Saturday, Rijiju announced: “Hon’ble President of India, on the recommendation of Government of India, has approved the proposal for summoning of both the Houses of Parliament for the Budget Session, 2024 from 22nd July, 2024 to 12 August, 2024 (Subject to exigencies of Parliamentary Business).”
Significant steps are expected in the Budget. President Droupadi Murmu had asserted that it will be marked by many historic steps.
Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that “the Economic Survey will be introduced on July 22. The General Budget will be tabled on July 23.”
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had presented a vote on accounts in February before the Lok Sabha elections.
The session assumes political and policy importance as all eyes would be on how the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government would start its financial innings with the first budget.
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The two top allies of the BJP — the TDP and the JD(U) — will also be looking forward to the budget in respect to their states’ demands for schemes and funds for development.
But as the first session indicated, if the Congress party that leads the Opposition, considers the Modi government as having suffered a moral and political defeat (the PM has debunked the claims and reminded the Congress that it has suffered a historic defeat), scenes between treasury and opposition benches will remain acrimonious.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien said on Saturday, “It is government’s duty to run Parliament smoothly in upcoming Budget session. They must: Offer Deputy Speaker in Lok Sabha to INDIA candidate, allow one notice from Opposition weekly in each House to discuss issues of national importance (such as exam mess; unemployment), and ensure no bulldozing of Bills.”
In Bundi, Birla emphasized that Parliament is meant for debates and leaders can express their party’s position and take contrasting point of view but all members to uphold parliamentary dignity while discharging their duties in the House.
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“I will try to ensure that debates in the House are conducted in a manner that it doesn’t affect the dignity of Parliament, be it the members from treasury benches or the opposition,” he said.
Birla returned to Bundi to a rapturous welcome — part of his Lok Sabha constituency Kota — for the first time after being elected as the Speaker. Thousands of people came down to the streets to greet him, showering flowers and raising slogans along the way.
Birla became the Speaker for the second time on June 26. He is the first Speaker in this millennium to get a two term (fourth since independence) and also the first to win (fourth since Independence) the post in an election.
Talking about his plans for Kota-Bundi, Birla said more efforts will be made to develop an agro-based industry in the region and added: “There is tremendous potential for development of tourism in this region which is dotted by palaces and havelis,” he said, adding that the Kota-Bundi region is also emerging as an educational hub.
“I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all members of the Lok Sabha for giving me the responsibility of House Speaker for the second term,” Birla said, adding that his efforts would be to “enhance the dignity and prestige of this temple of the democracy”.
