New Delhi: President Draupadi Murmu will make her first maiden address in the Budget session in Parliament to the joint sitting of both Houses. Government’s priority will be to seek approval on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address and the Finance Bill, the Opposition is raring to corner it on a range of issues, including the Adani-Hindenburg row, a nationwide caste-based economic census and the women’s reservation bill.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the last full-fledged Union Budget of the Modi government before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on February 1^st. The Economic Survey will be tabled on Tuesday after the President’s address. The Government plans to bring around 36 bills including four related to the budgetary exercise – during the session.

The session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6^th with a month-long recess to examine the budget papers. The first part of the session will conclude on February 14^th. Parliament will reconvene on March 12^th for the second part of the Budget Session.

At an all-party meeting convened by it on Monday, the Government said it was willing to discuss every issue under the rules during the Budget Session of Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said after the all party meeting, we seek the Opposition’s cooperation in running the proceedings smoothly. The meeting which was attended by 37 leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, representing 27 parties.

At the meeting, AAP Sanjay Singh, RJD Manoj Jha, DMK, Left parties and others raised the Adani issue and sought a discussion on it in Parliament during the session. Parties like the BRS and DMK raised the issue of conduct of Governors in states ruled by them. The YSRCP demanded a nationwide caste-based economic census.