Scrapped or late start? Oppn awaits winter session dates from Modi govt

Is the Narendra Modi government planning to scrap or shorten the Winter session of Parliament? Or is it that such misgivings are unfounded and it might just be a case of a late start?

The Parliament sits for three sessions in a year – the Budget, Monsoon, and Winter sessions.

According to Article 85 of the Constitution, the President has to "from time to time summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit...."

The Constitution mandates that the maximum gap between two sessions – this period is called 'intersession' – shall not exceed six months.

At least theoretically, it isn't unconstitutional for the government of the day to scrap a session. It can hold two sessions, instead of three, in a year as long as the gap between the two sessions is less than six months.

In the current instance, the last sitting of the Monsoon session was on August 11. If the Winter session were to be done away with, the Budget session should begin by February 10.

This is easily done. With the Modi government advancing the date of the presentation of the Budget earlier this year, the 2017 Budget session had started on January 31.

The President summons the Houses on the advice of the council of ministers. Usually, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meets a fortnight before a session to decide on the schedule and the Members of Parliament (MPs) intimated.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh heads the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs. It is yet to meet. Since the MPs have not been informed of the dates, there are misgivings within the Opposition that the Modi government might be planning to scrap or shorten the session.

Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel and Arjun Ram Meghwal were unavailable for comment. Sources in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariats didn't rule out the government mulling shortening the Winter session, if not scrapping it altogether.

During the Monsoon session, Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury had raised the issue of it being one of the shortest Monsoon sessions of recent times. He had said the government didn't want Parliament to sit since it was unwilling to face uncomfortable questions.

Opposition members like Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien have said the government should have conveyed the dates of the Winter session by now.

The reasons being attributed for shortening or possibly scrapping the session are several.

It is being argued that most MPs, including the Prime Minister and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, would be busy campaigning in Gujarat for the Assembly poll and would find little time to attend the session.

However, earlier this year, five states, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, went to polls during the Budget session but the session dates were not altered. Gujarat votes on December 9 and 14.

The other argument being put forth is that the Winter session is likely to be stormy. The government is set to face criticism and questions on the slowdown in the economy, demonetisation, and the "hurried" implementation of the goods and services tax, and it may not be willing to face that criticism in the run-up to the Gujarat poll. Several farmers' organisations and trade unions have also planned rallies in New Delhi.

However, a look at the schedule of the last seven Rajya Sabha sessions (chart) tells us that sessions have also started as late as the last week of November. The government, therefore, still has ample time to summon the two Houses for a full-fledged session.

Schedule of last few Winter sessions

• 16 November to 16 December 2016

• 26 November to 23 December 2015

• 24 November to 23 December 2014

• Clubbed Winter and Budget sessions in 2013 as 2014 was a poll year

• 22 November 2012 to 20 December 2012

• 22 November 2012 to 29 December 2011

• 9 November 2010 to 13 December 2010

• 19 November 2009 to 22 December 2009