An all-party meeting is currently underway at the Parliament
Annexe building in New Delhi in preparation for the upcoming Budget session.
The meeting is being chaired by Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju, JP
Nadda, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and L Murugan.
Leaders from various political parties are in attendance,
including Congress representatives Jairam Ramesh, K Suresh, and Gaurav Gogoi,
along with TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien. Other participants
include RSP MP NK Premachandran, BJD MP Sasmit Patra, DMK MP TR Baalu, SP MP
Ram Gopal Yadav, and JMM MP Mahua Maji, among several others.
Before the meeting, RSP MP NK Premachandran described it as
a routine pre-session gathering, emphasizing that the opposition is prepared
for smooth parliamentary proceedings, provided the government ensures
cooperation. "We have many pressing issues to raise, including economic
slowdown, inflation, and unemployment," he told ANI.
The Budget session is scheduled to commence on January 31
and will continue until April 4. The Union Budget will be presented on February
1, and President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of both Houses on
the opening day. Following an inter-session break from February 14,
parliamentary proceedings will resume on March 10.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had
earlier announced the all-party meeting on January 30, stating, "The
Budget session will begin on January 31, and before that, we have called an
all-party meeting to discuss key agendas."