Monsoon Session To Begin in New Parliament Building from July 17

The monsoon session of Parliament will start in new Parliament building from July 17 and is likely to conclude on August 10. The dates were finalized by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday, chaired by Union minister Rajnath Singh.

The dates that were proposed before the Cabinet were July 17 or 20. The session may conclude on August 10. Although the new Parliament building has been inaugurated, some work is still ongoing. Therefore, if the new Parliament is not fully prepared to hold a session, the possibility of holding it in the old building cannot be ruled out.

According to various reports, the main highlight of the session is likely to be on the bill that is likely to replace the Union government's ordinance giving more administrative powers to the Lieutenant Governor's office, against which AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is meeting Opposition leaders seeking support against the bill.

The Indian National Congress (INC) has yet to announce its stand on the bill. The ordinance nullifies the Supreme Court's May 11 judgment giving the Delhi government greater legislative and administrative control over "services" by giving the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) final say in the matter.

It is expected that the bill will be easily passed in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoys a clear majority. However, in the Rajya Sabha, where the current strength is 238 with seven vacant seats, the BJP-led government may face some resistance.

The monsoon session is typically the busiest session of Parliament, as it is when the government presents its annual budget. This year, the budget is likely to be presented on July 26.

The monsoon session is also a time when the government faces the most scrutiny from the opposition. With the AAP and the Congress both opposed to the bill on the L-G's powers, the session is likely to be stormy.