Hope parliament will function smoothly: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed hope that the parliament session beginning on Monday will transact its business smoothly.

"In the last session also we transacted important business. Most of them were on financial issues. The satisfaction about it reflected in the face of our members. I hope similarly business will be transacted smoothly this time as well. We hope all (parties) will cooperate in making the session a success," Modi told reporters in the Parliament House premises.

The session will continue till May 13.

The prime minister then presided over a strategy meet of senior ministers that was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu among others, BJP sources said.

The government is likely to come under sharp attack for imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members would press for debate on the probe into the Ishrat Jahan and Lt Col Shrikant Purohit cases.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan at an all-party meeting on Sunday had sought cooperation from floor leaders of different parties to ensure smooth transaction of business.

In Monday's session, among the listed business Rajnath Singh is expected to move the Sikh Gurdwaras Amendment Bill, 2016.

The bill already passed by Rajya Sabha on March 16 seeks to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 and regulate administration of Sikh gurdwaras in Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

It will also lay down the powers of the Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) rules to regulate elections to them.

--IANS

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