PM asks Opp. to cooperate
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani-PTI
Lamenting that lot of time has been wasted in the last two to three sessions of Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday asked the Opposition to cooperate in the passage of the legislative business, including the “most important” ordinance on food security bill.
Promising to discuss all issues raised by the Opposition, Dr Singh hoped that the nearly month-long Monsoon Session starting Monday will be “very constructive and productive”.
“I hope it will be a very constructive and productive session of the Parliament. Lot of time was wasted in previous two to three sessions and there is lot of legislative agenda pending before the Parliament. “And I sincerely hope that all sections of the House will cooperate in making it very productive and very constructive session,” Dr Singh told reporters after an all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to ensure smooth functioning of the House.
Maintaining that the government, on its part, is willing to discuss any issue which may agitate the Opposition, he said, “But all that we respectfully ask the Opposition is to cooperate with the government in passing the essential legislative work which is primarily the responsibility of the Parliament.”
Of all the five to six ordinances which are before Parliament, Dr Singh noted that the most important is the one on food security.
“I sincerely hope that Parliament in its wisdom find it justified to pass that, to convert that ordinance into a bill through an act of the Parliament”.
While parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said the government has received “emphatic assurances” from all political parties about the session being business-like and smooth, the SP struck a discordant note saying the session will not run smoothly and will be a stormy affair.
Amid turbulence in Gorkhaland after the decision on Telangana, Trina-mul Congress wanted a statement by home minister Sushilkumar Shinde that now no new state will be carved out cautioning otherwise “India will urn”.
Several parties, including the DMK and the Trinamul Congress, also raised the issue of judiciary “interfering” in the work of legislatures and expressed concern over “erosion” of parliamentary supremacy.
“We have also pointed out the way the judiciary is functioning and interfering with the legislative and administrative functions. The Judges Appointment Bill should be decided. The powers of the Supreme Court and the high courts needs a discussion,” TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said.
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