Special Parl session without Question Hour, private members' business

A session of both Houses of Parliament will be held from September 18-22 without Question Hour or private members' business, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha secretariats said on Saturday.

The session will have five sittings and members will be informed about the provisional calendar separately, the secretariats said.

"Members are informed that the Thirteenth Session of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha will commence on Monday, the 18th September, 2023," the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a bulletin on Saturday.

"Members are informed that the Two Hundred and Sixty First Session of the Rajya Sabha will commence on Monday, the 18th September, 2023," the Rajya Sabha secretariat said.

On Thursday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had announced a "special session" of Parliament for five days from September 18, but kept the agenda for it under wraps, triggering speculation.

"Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament," Joshi said on X.

Generally, three parliamentary sessions are held in a year -- Budget, Monsoon and Winter sessions.

Sources had said the "special session" could see parliamentary operations being shifted to the new Parliament building which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

A day later, it emerged that the government was setting up a high-level committee to examine and recommend simultaneous polls, adding to the speculation that the special session could be the last of the current Lok Sabha.

Arrangements being made for a group photo of MPs have added fuel to the fire though some people suggested it could be because of a possible shift to the new parliament building.