Political parties have assured me of cooperation in running of House: LS speaker Om Birla

New Delhi, Jan 31: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said all political parties have assured him of positive cooperation in the running of the House and hoped that Parliament will function smoothly during the budget session.

Birla on Monday chaired a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Lok Sabha, which was attended by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and the floor leaders of all the political parties. It also acted as the customary all-party meeting at the start of a Parliament session. It was decided at the meeting to allocate 12 hours each to discussions on the Union Budget and the Motion of Thanks on the president's address, sources said, adding that some opposition leaders also raised the issue of alleged snooping using the Pegasus spyware.

In a series of tweets after the meeting, Birla said the leaders of all the parties have assured him of positive cooperation and active participation during the budget session.

"I hope that with the cooperation of the government and all parties, the House will run smoothly and we will be able to do public welfare through result-oriented discussions, while achieving high productivity during the session," he said.

The speaker said he has urged the floor leaders to raise people-centric issues and sought their cooperation to ensure that the House runs smoothly. PTI