Budget session of Parliament to resume today, Opposition set to raise issues of inflation, unemployment

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New Delhi: With the second part of the Parliament's Budget session beginning on Monday (March 14, 2022), the Opposition is set to corner the government on a range of issues, including inflation and rising unemployment. The opposition is also prepared to raise issues of the evacuation of Indians stranded in war-torn Ukraine and a reduction in the interest rate on employees' provident funds.

While for the government, the top agenda would be getting Parliament's approval to the budgetary proposals and presentation of the budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the budget for Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha on Monday and it is likely to be taken up for discussion in the post-lunch sitting of the House.

The government has also listed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha.

As the Covid-19 situation has improved in the recent weeks, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will have simultaneous sittings from 11 am, instead of the two separate shifts during the first part of the Budget session from January 29 to February 11.

It is notable that the first part of the Budget session had begun on January 29 with President Ram Nath Kovind's address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in the Central Hall of Parliament, which was followed by the presentation of the Economic Survey.

Sitharaman had then presented the Union Budget on February 1, which was followed by discussions on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address and the Union Budget.

Earlier on Sunday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi chaired a meeting of the party's Parliament Strategy Group at her residence and decided to work in coordination with like-minded political parties during the Budget session.

"We will work in coordination with other like-minded parties to raise issues of public importance during the session," Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said after the meeting.

He stated that the issues to be raised during the second part of the Parliament's Budget session include the evacuation and safety of the Indian students in Ukraine, inflation, unemployment, labour matters and MSP for farmers as promised by the government.

(With agency inputs)