President Pranab Mukherjee said Budget 2017 is historic and must celebrate democracy.
President Pranab Mukherjee in his address to a joint session of Parliament to mark the start of the Budget Session stressed that his government was committed to 'sabka saath sabka vikaas'. He said various steps had been taken by the government for inclusive growth of minorities and the welfare of 'divyangs' or specially-abled. He said like the rain drops and streams converge in the sea, the schemes of his government converge for the welfare of the poor.
The President touched upon government's various welfare schemes including Jan Dhan, Start-up India and Digital India. He said the notes ban or demonetisation, the flash point of conflict between the ruling BJP and opposition parties, would strengthen the digital economy of India.
Mr Mukherjee, who had pulled up lawmakers after the Winter Session of Parliament was washed away amid protests against notes ban, said the sacred institute of parliament obligates its members to redeem the tasks given by our countrymen.
The government has advanced the budget by several weeks this year. In another first, the Rail Budget has been merged with the Union Budget, which will be presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tomorrow.
"The Government is insisting on presenting budget before elections. Obviously it means that they are trying to lure voters," alleged Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress this morning. Mr Kharge, who serves as leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, also criticised the government's move to scrap the rail budget, presented separately for years. "It is a big mistake. It will erase public sector," he said.
During a pre-session meeting with all parties on Monday, PM Modi sought the opposition's support and said "in election time, there can be some differences among us, but Parliament is a mahapanchayat. It should function."
The Trinamool Congress of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said it will skip the first two days of the Budget session, which had also skipped yesterday's all-party meeting. The party has said it is protesting against the notes ban and the arrest of two of its members of Parliament in a chit-fund scam, which it alleges is "political vendetta" because it has opposed demonetisation.
The government has said it is ready to discuss every issue. "Ready to discuss any issue opposition want to discuss, will answer every question raised," said MA Naqvi, junior minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
The budget session will be held in two parts as happens every year. The first part ends next week on February 9. The houses will reconvene on March 9 and the session will end on April 12.
A number of important of important bills have carried over and have to be passed this session, after the Winter Session was washed out by the opposition's protests over the notes ban. The Congress and Janata Dal United have demanded a white paper on demonetisation, detailing to the people what the government has achieved by it.
Several parties have also demanded a debate on demonetisation in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session. "This is a very short session and all have called for a debate on demonetisation and some other issues. Everyone has agreed that there are only 19 hours left for discussion and it was decided that we can sit longer and increase the hours for discussion to 25 hours," said Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
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