All-party meeting to discuss smooth functioning of Parliament, opposition to raise range of issues during monsoon session

The government has convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday afternoon for the smooth functioning of the monsoon session of Parliament which begins on Thursday. While the opposition parties will apprise the government of the issues they intend to raise during the session, the government also has prepared its legislative agenda. The monsoon session of  Parliament will continue till August 11.  Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has urged all parties to contribute towards productive discussions on legislative business and other items during the session. There will be a total of 17 sittings during the session.

The Monsoon session will start in the old Parliament building. Opposition parties held a unity meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday and decided that the group will be called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Leaders from 26 opposition parties attended the two-day Bengaluru meeting, the second such meeting after the first meeting held in Patna.   The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance also held a meeting which was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  The bill to replace ordinance over control of services in Delhi is expected to come up during the monsoon session. 

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill 2023, which received  Cabinet nod earlier this month, is also expected to be introduced. The Congress has held Parliamentary Strategy Group meetings to decided its strategy for the session. Party leader Jairam Ramesh said earlier that they will raise the situation in Manipur during the session. "The attacks on the federal structure by the Central government through Governors' will be raised in the upcoming session of Parliament. The issues include the Manipur situation, the Balasore train tragedy, bringing of the Goods and Services

Tax Network (GSTN) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), inflation," he said. Ramesh said the opposition parties will continue to press their demand for a JPC into the Hindenburg-Adani row.