PM Modi Asks Ministers To Be Present In Parliament As Per Roster

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday cautioned union ministers against skipping their roster duties in both the Houses of Parliament and told the party leadership that he should be informed if they skip their duty, sources said.

Speaking at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s parliamentary party meeting, Modi also said that the ongoing session can be extended if necessary to pass the government's legislative agenda, the sources added.

The sources, however, added that extension of the session, which is scheduled to end on July 26, is not on the government's agenda as of now.

He has in the past often expressed his displeasure at MPs’ absence from Parliament when it is in session.

In a briefing after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters that Modi asked BJP Member of Parliaments to nurse their constituencies by playing a leading role in its development and advised them to take up a cause of human sensitivity like eradication of leprosy or tuberculosis and water conservation.

First impression is often the last impression, Modi told the MPs, a large number of them first-timers, as he asked them to work passionately for the development of their areas.

He told parliamentarians that they should take up a social cause or an issue of human sensitivity as a “mission” apart from carrying out their duties as members of Parliament so that they are remembered for their work.

Modi also asked them to work with local authorities for development of their constituencies. He referred to aspirational districts, an official term for underdeveloped districts, and asked them to coordinate with authorities to boost their progress.

There is a “healthy competition” among authorities for developing these districts and MPs should work with officials to ensure development.