Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he hoped that the Winter Session of Parliament, which is beginning today, would be fruitful and result-oriented.
In a bid to reach out to the Opposition, Modi praised the ‘positive role played by the Opposition in smooth functioning of Parliament in last session.’ The Prime Minister said he expects the same cooperation this time too.
The Opposition is gearing up to take on the government over a variety of issues, including black money and FDI in insurance sector, in the session. The government has lined up as many as 37 Bills for the consideration of the two Houses during the month-long session, including the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill.
While the Left parties, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), RJD, SP and BSP are planning a joint opposition to the Insurance Bill, they hope the Congress will come along. Kharge, however, said his party would first see the amendments the government planned.
Parliament was adjourned today after condoling the death of three sitting members, including former Union minister Murli Deora. As soon as Rajya Sabha met for the day, Chairman Hamid Ansari mentioned the death of Deora in Mumbai today at the age of 77.
In the Lok Sabha, members condoled the death of sitting members Hemendra Chandra Singh (BJD) and Kapil Krishna Thakur (Trinamool Congress). Singh’s wife Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh (BJD) has won the Lok Sabha bypoll from Kandhmal. Lok Sabha also condoled the demise of former members Amitava Nandy, M S Sanjeevi Rao, Avaidyanath, Saifuddin Choudhury and Sanjay Singh Chauhan.
Three of the five members, elected in the recent bypolls, also took oath in the House. Ranjanaben Bhatt (BJP), who won from Vadodara, the seat vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who retained Varanasi, Pritam Gopinath Munde (BJP) from Beed in Maharashtra, the seat that fell vacant following death of her father and Union Minister Gopinath Munde, and Tej Pratap Yadav (SP), elected from Mainpuri, vacated by Mulayam Singh Yadav, who retained Azamgarh, took oath.
Modi then introduced his new ministers, who were inducted in the council of ministers on November 9. In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari said, “In the passing away of Shri Murli Deora, the country has lost a distinguished parliamentarian, an able administrator and a decided social worker.”
Deora, who served as Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Corporate Affairs from January 2006 to July 2011, was a four-term Lok Sabha member and three-term Rajya Sabha member. He represented Maharashtra in the Upper House from April 2002 till his passing away this morning.
Ansari also condoled the death of yoga expert BKS Iyengar, and former members Lekhraj Bachani, Jagdev Singh Talwandi and S S Rajendran. Before adjourning for the day, the Lok Sabha also condoled the deaths in Cyclone Hudhud, Jammu and Kashmir floods and stampede in Patna during Dussehra.
