Monsoon Session: LS Speaker calls all-party meet on July 18

The meeting is likely to begin from 11 a.m. at Parliament premises, said sources. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi will also interact with the floor leaders during the meeting and take their views before the session starts its 19-day business from July 19, said sources. 

The meeting has been called a day before the Monsoon Session, which will run between July 19 and August 13, the first Session after the second wave of ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The timings of the session will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for both the Houses. 

The meeting is crucial as the Monsoon Session is set to be stormy with the opposition ready with strategy to corner the government over several issues that include rising petrol and diesel prices and the infrastructure lapses during the second wave of Covid. 

Meanwhile, top BJP leaders and Union Ministers, including party President J.P. Nadda, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, held a meeting last evening to discuss matters related to the upcoming Monsoon Session and frame the party's strategy to counter the opposition. The meeting was held at Union Minister Rajnath Singh's residence. 

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupender Yadav and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ministers of State Arjun Ram Meghwal and V. Muraleedharan, among others, were present in the meeting. Besides them, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also attended the meet. 

With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, the session will be held in both the Houses of Parliament with all the necessary protocols and arrangements being made to accommodate the MPs on a social distancing basis. 

Parliament Sessions have been affected ever since the pandemic hit the country last year forcing early closure of last year's Budget and Monsoon Sessions and this year's Budget Session. The 2020 Winter Session was skipped completely due to the public health crisis. 

The high rate of vaccination among the lawmakers and Parliament staff has improved chances of a longer Parliament Session and higher productivity. 

Around 17 Bills are listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha, including five Bills for consideration and passage, and a similar number of Bills are expected to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha as well during the session. 

The dates for the Monsoon Session were decided after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla took stock of preparations earlier this week.