Even as the Government anticipates a host of controversial issues turning the Parliament Session, beginning Monday, into a stormy one, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed confidence that it would be full of “quality debates” and “outcomes” with BJP MPs returning to their seats with “more focus”.
Modi said the productivity of Parliament has “reached 125 per cent” since his Government came to power.Addressing party MPs at a workshop here, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu asked BJP MPs to be present in their House throughout.
In an apparent swipe at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over his absence, Naidu told MPs that they should take any “sabbatical” or leave for “introspection” only after the Session. On his part, Modi hoped party MPs would have received adequate feedback about the Centre’s work, especially Budget, and can join the Session with more focus.
“In a way the second phase of the Session is stronger because MPs come back with more focus. I am sure this half would be full of quality debates and outcomes,” he said.
The P rime Minister maintained that in the last six-seven years before the BJP Government came to power, the productivity of Parliament had drastically come down. He told MPs that they should thank the people again and again because the productivity has gone “up to 125 per cent as they handed over majority to the party”.
Though critical of a section of the media in his address, Modi, however, thanked the Press for maintaining pressure on political parties against disruption in Parliament irrespective of which party is in Opposition or power.
Modi also spoke on the issue of the surrendering of lPG subsidy by consumers, saying the Rs200 crore collected so far will be used for providing gas connections to people still using the traditional chulhas.