All-party meet ahead of Budget Session: Oppn raises Adani issue; YSR Cong calls for caste-based eco census

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) The government on Monday said it was willing to discuss every issue under rules during the Budget Session of Parliament and sought the support of the Opposition in running the proceedings smoothly.

Briefing the media after an all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the Budget Session beginning Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the government was willing to discuss every issue in Parliament under rules. “We seek Opposition’s cooperation” in running the House smoothly.

At the meet, Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh, RJD’s Manoj Jha, DMK, Left parties and others raised the Adani issue and sought discussion on it in Parliament during the session.

The US-based short seller Hindenburg Research has accused the Adani Group of wrongdoing like stock manipulation. The company has dismissed the allegations as “nothing but a lie”.

The YSR Congress demanded a nationwide caste-based economic census at the meet.

It is necessary to know the economic status of backward castes who are “lagging behind” on social and development indicators, the party said.

YSR Congress leader Vijaysai Reddy said backward castes are over 50 per cent of the total population and the census will help find their economic status.

The ruling party in Andhra Pradesh has joined the likes of the JD(U) and the RJD, both of which have demanded a caste census.

The grand alliance government in Bihar has rolled out a state-wide caste survey.

Reddy said his party also demanded the passage of the women quota bill for ensuring reservation for them in Parliament.

Parties including the TRS, TMC and the BJD also supported the demand.

The Budget Session will begin from January 31 with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6 with a month-long recess to examine the budget papers.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on February 1.

The first part of the Budget Session will conclude on February 14.

Parliament will reconvene on March 12 for the second part of the Budget Session.