Monsoon Session begins, PM introduces newly inducted ministers to LS

The Monsoon Session of Parliament began at 11 a.m. on Monday with the government eyeing upon passing the crucial Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill.

The session began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi introducing to the Lok Sabha the newly inducted ministers in his Cabinet.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow due to the demise of Dalpat Singh Paraste, the Lok Sabha MP from Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh.

The 19 new members of the Cabinet are Mahendra Nath Pandey, Anil Madhav Dave, Anupriya Patel, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Krishna Raj, Mansukh Mandaviya, M J Akbar, P.P Chaudhary, Parshottam Rupala, Rajen Gohain, Ramdas Athawale, Ramesh Chandappa, Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Vijay Goel, Ajay Tamta and C.R Chaudhary.

Ahead of the session, Prime Minister Modi asked all political parties to work cohesively and put forth their arguments in a constructive manner.

"In order to spur development and to take the nation forward, the discussions should be of constructive nature so that the nation develops at a rapid pace. For this, everyone should work together in the Parliament to guide the nation," he told the media outside the Parliament here.

Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence over the consensus built across all parties and hoped that everyone would take the apt decision to ensure that India develops at a rapid pace.

"As per the talks held with various political parties, I am confident that everyone is in consensus and would take the right decision to ensure that the nation moves ahead on the development path," he added.

A total of 25 bills, including the GST Bill, are expected to come up for consideration and passage during the session.

The session will have 20 working days and will conclude on the 12th of next month.