Comprehensive preparations for budget session, govt's instructions for vaccine will be followed: Om Birla

By Nishant Ketu
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], January 8 (ANI): The budget session of parliament will be duly conducted and the government has made preparations for it keeping in mind the COVID-19 pandemic, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Friday.
Speaking to ANI today, Birla stated, "We have made comprehensive preparations for the budget session of parliament and this session will be duly conducted."
When asked whether a Covid-19 vaccination drive will be run for Members of Parliament before the session, Birla said, "Our scientists and doctors have worked hard. Regarding the vaccination, decision will be taken by the government. The guidelines given by the government regarding it will be followed."
Birla had come here today to participate in a programme organised in Dehradun for Panchayati Raj Institutions of the country with the objective of familiarising them with the functioning of Parliament and democratic principles and sentiments.
On January 5, Union minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi while announcing the dates for the budget session said that the government's intention is to complete the session without any curtailment.
Joshi told ANI that the first phase of the budget session will begin on January 29 and conclude on February 15.
"In first half of the budget session, the President's address will be delivered on January 29 along with the discussion on it. The budget will be presented on February 1. If there are any emergency bills or ordinance to bring, we will prefer to do that in first phase. Bills which need to be taken will be taken. There will be question and zero hour as well and the rest will be at the discretion of the Speaker," said the parliamentary affairs minister.
The minister said the second phase of the budget session will be from March 8 to April 8.
"In that phase we would discuss grants and finance bill too will be discussed. Session, hopefully, will be longer. Last time we planned session to be a little longer but due to pandemic and members of opposition too requested curtailment of session, we could not run it fully. This time it will be like it used to be. This is our intention," said the minister. (ANI)