Govt to hold all-party meet on Sep 17 to seek views on special Parliament session

The government will hold an all-party meeting on Sunday (September 17) to hear their views regarding a special five-day session of parliament called from Monday.

The announcement came amid a continuing buzz on whether the meeting or the session will unveil some surprise.

The main standout feature on the listed agenda is a special discussion on the parliament's journey of 75 years starting from the "'Samvidhan Sabha" (Constituent Assembly).

The government has also listed a Bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage during the session.

The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon session.

The government enjoys the prerogative of tabling in Parliament some new legislation or other items that might not have been part of the listed agenda.

Scheduled business

Though there is no official word on any probable new legislation, there has been some talk about a Bill to ensure quota for women in elected legislatures like the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

What has added to the anticipation around the session is the strong likelihood of parliament being shifted to the new building inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

Various departments of parliamentary staff are all set to don new uniforms in a signal that the shift to the new building is likely to be marked with a fresh start in more ways than one.

The new dress code with floral motif for a section of staff has already kicked up a political row, with the Congress dubbing it as a "cheap" tactic to promote the ruling party's poll symbol — the lotus flower.

The other listed business for Lok Sabha includes 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023' and 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023', already passed by Rajya Sabha in August.

'The Post Office Bill, 2023' has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business, according to an official bulletin. The bill was earlier introduced in Rajya Sabha in August.

(With agency inputs)