Parliament Session To Be Extended, Says Prakash Javadekar

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said the government is moving to extend the Parliament session and noted that the opposition parties should not have any objection as they have been in favour of Parliament working for at least 100 days in a year.

Answering queries from reporters after meeting of the Union Cabinet, he said 80 per cent of the Bills being taken up were those which had lapsed with the dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha as these could not be passed in Rajya Sabha.

He said the Bills could not be passed for nearly one-and-a-half years and were being taken up now.

"This (the extension of Parliament session) is not discussed in the Cabinet but the demand of opposition always is that the session should be extended. We are doing that only. I don't think the opposition will object because they say it should be held for 100 days (in a year)," he said.

Asked for how many days the session will be extended, he quipped, "You will have a lot of work."

On how confident is he about the Bills getting passed in Rajya Sabha where the government does not have a majority, he said Bills are getting passed every day in the Upper House.

"Rajya Sabha is not there to block the Bills. It is the second chamber and its purpose is that members discuss, make suggestions and even raise objections if there are any," he said.

He expressed confidence that the Bills will be passed.