Apprehending a stormy monsoon session of Parliament, and with crucial Bills lined up, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Vijay Goel, called on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek cooperation from the Opposition.
The session is scheduled to begin on July 18 and will end on August 18. Crucial bills like the OBC Bill conferring Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), the Triple Talaq Bill and the Transgender Bill are being lined up.
“It is very important to have the Opposition’s support during the session, which will have 18 sittings with 68 bills pending in Lok Sabha and 40 in Rajya Sabha. Out of the 68 bills in Lok Sabha, 12 are very important and of 40 in Rajya Sabha, nine are very important,” Mr. Goel said. He didn’t elaborate on the names of the bills.
Mr. Goel said Dr. Singh welcomed the government initiative for reaching out to the Opposition parties and said it was the responsibility of both the ruling and the Opposition parties to ensure that Parliament function efficiently.
The budget session was a complete washout as the productivity was 4% in Lok Sabha and 8% in Rajya Sabha. Mr. Goel added that he would be meeting leaders of other Opposition parties to seek their support. More than six ordinances would also be taken up, he said.