Our Bureau

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pulled up ministers in his Cabinet for shirking Parliamentary duties during the session.

At a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party here on Tuesday, he urged the ministers to adhere to the duty roster. He also asked for the names of all absentee ministers.

Modi had earlier pulled up BJP MPs for skipping the session when important issues or Bills were taken up for discussion in Parliament.

It is learnt that some Opposition MPs complained to the Prime Minister about the absence of senior ministers during the session in both the Houses. The Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha had demanded the presence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a recent discussion on the Budget.

Modi also told BJP MPs that the ongoing Budget session, if required, could be extended to ensure the passage of Bills moved by the government.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Prime Minister also asked the party MPs to play a leading role in the development of their constituencies by taking up humanitarian issues such as eradication of leprosy or tuberculosis and water conservation.

In the last meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party, Modi had asked the MPs to hold padayatras (walkathon) in October to propagate BJP’s ideology and politics, wherever it is weak.

Joshi also said that the PM asked the first-time MPs to work passionately for the development of their areas. He said by taking up social issues, an MP can ensure that people will remember his work.

He reminded them of the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi in eradicating TB and leprosy. “Prime Minister also noted that India has fixed a deadline of 2025 for eradicating TB against the global deadline of 2030,” Joshi said.

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