Prime Minister NarendraModi on Tuesday cautioned Union ministers against skipping their roster duties in Parliament and said that he should be given names of all absentee ministers the same evening, sources said.
PM Modi’s displeasure over the issue of absence of ministerscame at a BJP’s parliamentary party meeting, where he has in the past oftenpulled up MPs for absenteeism when it is in session. This is the second time inthe month, Modi has expressed unhappiness over the issue of absence oflawmakers in Parliament.
Opposition members have at times raised the issue of absenceof ministers. BJP sources said there have been instances when Cabinet ministersor their deputies scheduled to be present in either LokSabha or RajyaSabha wereabsent.
During the meeting, PM Modi also said the ongoing session can be extended, if required, to pass the government’slegislative agenda, sources added.
Sources, however, stated that extension of the session,which is scheduled to end on July 26, is not on the government’s agenda as ofnow.
Asking ministers to stick to their roster duties, PM Modi said they should carry out their work asassigned.
And that he should be given details of all the Unionministers who did not attend Parliament despite being asked to be present forthe session same evening, sources said.In a briefing after the meeting, ParliamentaryAffairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters that PMModi asked BJP MPs to nurse theirconstituencies by playing a leading role in its development and advised them totake up a cause of human sensitivity like eradication of leprosy ortuberculosis and water conservation.