New Delhi, May 30
While unveiling the UPA government’s priorities over the next five years, the Presidential address, to be delivered to the joint session of Parliament on June 4, will draw exhaustively from the Congress party’s election manifesto, promising to increase the quota for women in panchayati raj institutions from the present 33 to 50 per cent.
The address, discussed today at the new government’s first Union Cabinet meeting, will lay down the programmes, which are to be initiated by the ruling combine during the first 100 days after taking charge at the Centre.
The Congress election manifesto had promised a subsidised food scheme, entitling every family living under poverty line 25 kg of rice or wheat per month which would be guaranteed by law through the Right to Food Act. It had also laid down specific concessions and programmes for rural poor, farmers, minorities, women and the youth.
Besides, the ruling combine’s commitment to rural development and empowerment of women and weaker sections, the Presidential address will promise early passage of the stalled Women’s Reservation Bill and focus on improving infrastructure and agricultural growth.
It will also talk of the need to take forward the hugely-popular National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the ICDS, strengthen labour laws to check retrenchment in the wake of global recession, apart from focusing on the ways to strengthen the Indian economy and steer it out of the current crisis.The address will take note of the outgoing government’s achievements, which include flagship programmes like the rural job scheme and the Bharat Nirman programme and will underline the need for building on these.
The address will be the high point of the first session of the 15th Lok Sabha, which commences here from June 1, with the oath of affirmation to the newly elected members of Parliament.The government has finalised the name of pro-tem speaker, Congress stalwart from Maharashtra Manikrao Hodlya Gavit, who is the senior-most member of the current House.
After the President addresses, the oath of affirmation to the pro-tem speaker on June 1, incumbent Speaker Somnath Chatterjee would demit office and Gavit will administer the oath to the elected members on June 1 and 2, paving the way for election of the Speaker on June 3.
On June 4, when the Rajya Sabha also meets, the President will address Parliament, which will be followed by a three-day discussion on the motion of thanks to the President in both Houses of Parliament. The House will be adjourned on May 9 and then recalled in early July to prepare for the passage of the general
budget.
