Modi urges MPs, political parties to ask sharp questions, but also allow govt to respond

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged political parties to ask most sharp questions but also allow Government to respond.

“Let this session be result oriented with effective debates so that the government can give people the answers sought by them. I would urge all the honorable MPs and all the parties to ask the most difficult and sharpest questions in the Houses but should also allow the Government to respond in a peaceful atmosphere,” Modi said in his customary remarks before both houses of the Parliament to assemble for the Monsoon session.

Further he mentioned that when people come to know about the truth, democracy gets strength, people’s confidence goes up and nation progresses.

Modi listed discussion and pandemic on priority and also asked MPs to give practical suggestion in the fight against pandemic. “We want meaningful debates in the Parliament over the pandemic. It should be given the highest priority so that we get all the practical suggestions from all the honorable MPs so that there can be a lot of innovation in the fight against the pandemic. If there are some shortcomings, then they can be rectified and we can move forward together in this fight,” he said. He also urged all the get vaccinated as vaccine in the arm makes one ‘Baahubali’ in fight against Covid.

The session is expected to continue till August 13. Both houses will have 19 sittings each with simultaneous proceedings. According to the Lok Sabha bulletin, the tentative List of Government Legislative and Financial Business expected to be taken up during the sixth Session of 17th Lok Sabha includes 17 new bills to be taken up for introduction, consideration and passage beside 5 bills, already introduced for consideration and passage. During the session, the Finance Ministry is also scheduled to move first Supplementary Demands for Grants for the Fiscal Year which will enable the Government to prioritise resources considering pandemic has affected the finance.

Among the new bills, three bills will replace ordinance, promulgated after the budget session. These include the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Essential Defence Service Bill, 2021 and the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021.

Meanwhile, opposition is expected to raise fuel prices and overall inflation rate in a big way. Prices of petrol are more than Rs 100 a litre in more than half of the country while those for diesel are in the 90’s. Overall retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained over 6 per cent in June, the second month in succession. At the same time, producers’ inflation, based on Wholesale Price Index (WPI) is more than 12 per cent which is expected to flow into retail inflation in coming months.