Monsoon session of Parliament likely to begin in July

New Delhi, June 08: The government is hopeful that the Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin on its normal schedule in July, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday amid the second wave of COVID-19.

Since the pandemic began, three sessions of Parliament were curtailed and the winter session last year had to be cancelled.

Last year, the Monsoon Session, which usually starts in July, had begun in September.

"I am hopeful that Parliament session will be held as per its normal schedule starting in July," Joshi told PTI.

Sources said the modalities of holding this year's Monsoon Session are still being discussed.

Parliamentary Standing Committee meetings are also expected to resume from the third week of June, according to sources.

The authorities are confident of holding the session in July itself as most of the parliamentarians, staff members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats and other stakeholders have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine.

Last month, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, and Shashi Tharoor, IT Committee head, appealed to the Centre to allow virtual meetings of the parliamentary panels. The Trinamool Congress has also written three letters.