Deadlock ends: Debate on Constitution next wk

Both Houses set to function from today after Speaker Birla meets floor leaders

- HT Correspondents

The government and the Opposition on Monday broke an impasse that had caused a logjam of the winter session of Parliament and washed out six consecutive days of proceedings, agreeing to hold a debate on the Constitution next week and allowing the smooth functioning of both Houses from Tuesday.

Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju announced after a meeting of floor leaders chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that the Lower House will debate the Constitution, which turned 75 this month, on December 13 and 14, and the Rajya Sabha will take up the discussion on December 16 and 17. The winter session is scheduled to close on December 20.

"It is not good to disrupt parliamentary proceedings. We appeal to all Opposition leaders to make good on the agreement that all of us will ensure Parliament functions smoothly from tomorrow," Rijiju said.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is likely to raise its pet issues during the debate on the Constitution, said people aware of developments.

The breakthrough came at the meeting chaired by Birla and attended by the floor leaders of several parties, including Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's TR Baalu and Trinamool Congress's Kalyan Banerjee among others, besides Rijiju and his deputy in the ministry Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Officials present in the meeting said that Birla urged the Opposition floor leaders to raise "people's issues" and reminded them that each lawmaker represented roughly 2.5 million people of his or her constituency, and that Parliament was the only forum to raise the issues of the constituents.

"Birla told the Congress that a lot of money is wasted as the Question Hours are disrupted. He reminded them that the Opposition is allowing the government to escape parliamentary scrutiny and the people disapprove frequent disruptions as they want Parliament to run smoothly," said a functionary present in the meeting.