New Delhi: The Winter session of Parliament – the last full session before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections – will commence on December 4 and continue till December 22, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi announced on Thursday.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Joshi said the session will have a total of 15 sittings, spread over a period of 19 days.
“Winter Session, 2023 of Parliament will commence from 4th December and continue till 22nd December having 15 sittings spread over 19 days. Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to discussions on Legislative Business and other items during the session,” he said.
On October 17, HT reported that the Winter session might be a shorter one in view of the assembly elections in five states from November 7. The Winter session of Parliament typically lasts a month.
While both Houses of Parliament have already met three times for the Budget, Monsoon and a special session, people aware of the details said the Winter session would be important as the government would be keen to pass the three bills to replace the Indian Penal code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Act.
The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were introduced in the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session in August. They will lapse if not passed in the current Lok Sabha. If the bills lapse, the ruling dispensation will have to return to power and then introduce the draft laws in the 18th Lok Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were introduced in the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session in August. They will lapse if not passed in the current Lok Sabha. If the bills lapse, the ruling dispensation will have to return to power and then introduce the draft laws in the 18th Lok Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}Another key bill pending in Parliament relates to the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.
In September, the four-day special session of Parliament, which passed the women’s reservation bill, turned out to be one of the top-performing sessions in the recent past in terms of utilisation of time and debates. Adjourning the House on September 21, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said the productivity of the session was 132% and the proceedings lasted 31 hours.