Reports on demands for grants of ministries must be submitted before Parl approves Budget: Naidu

Reports on demands for grants of various ministries by the Department Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) should be submitted well before the Budget is approved by Parliament, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu suggested on Friday.

Elaborating on the issue, Naidu said late submission of such reports leaves no time for the government to consider the recommendations made by DRSCs in respect to various ministries.

Naidu was addressing a meeting of leaders of various political parties and groups at his residence on the occasion of the Budget Session that commenced on Friday.

The Chairman urged the parliamentary affairs minister to talk to all concerned people including chairmen of various committees regarding timely submission of reports and said that he would also speak to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in this regard.

The leaders who attended the meeting welcomed Naidu's suggestion.

The vice president further reminded the group of the good work done by the Rajya Sabha during the last two sessions in terms of productivity and quality of debates and urged them to ensure the same positive momentum during the Budget Session.

He said the Budget Session offers ample opportunities to raise and discuss all issues of wider public concern during the long debates on the motion of thanks to the President for his address at the joint session and the Budget discussion.

He also advised leaders to ensure that members of political parties come prepared to make effective contribution to the debates in the House.

Voicing concern over inadequate attendance during the proceedings of the House and in the meetings of various committees, Naidu asked the leaders of various parties to ensure that a situation of lack of quorum does not arise as it reflects poorly on the functioning of legislatures.

Those who attended the meeting included Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Leader of the House Thawar Chand Gehlot, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress), Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal.

Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Derek O' Brien (TMC), Sanjay Rout (Shiv Sena), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Prasanna Acharya (BJD), RCP Singh (JDU), Balvinder Bhundar(SAD), K Keshava Rao (TRS), TK Radhakrishnan(CPM), Binoy Vishwom (CPI), Vaiko (MDMK) and V Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP) were also present in the meeting.

While assuring cooperation of the Opposition in transacting legislative business, Azad said the government should be willing to accommodate their demands and discuss in the House issues of public concern.

Joshi assured that the government is always willing to discuss any issue decided by the Chairman.