Parliament will convene on Monday for special session

Parliament will meet on Monday for a special three day session to consider important financial business relating to the 1997-98 Budget proposals.

After the United Front government headed by H D Deve Gowda was voted out in the Lok Sabha on April 11, Speaker Purno A Sangma adjourned the House sine die.

Leaders of several political parties and Speaker Sangma had called on the President earlier to draw his attention to the implications in case the Budget and the Finance Bill were not passed by the Lok Sabha. The House before adjournment on March 21, had passed a vote on account for two months.

The President, after consultation with constitutional experts, asked the Speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairman, Vice-President K R Narayan to convene the Houses to consider important financial business, sources said.

Before the two Houses reassemble, the leaders of all the political parties will discuss and finalise the business to be taken up. Some constitutional experts and the Bharatiya Janata Party have objected to the passage of the Budget presented by the government which was voted out of power.

The BJP on Sunday conveyed to Sangma that a ''most peculiar'' situation had arisen following the Tamil Maanila Congress's decision to keep out of the UF government under the new leadership.

The party also wanted to know the ''status'' of the financial business to be taken up in Parliament from Monday.

Leader of the Opposition Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh, the party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, met the Speaker to convey their views about the special session.

In the event of the House being adjourned on Monday as a mark of respect to Lok Sabha MP and former Orissa chief minister Biju Patnaik, the BJP wanted to know the status of the financial business.

Therefore, in case of dissolution of the House or the prospects of formation of an alternate government, Parliament could do ''no more than pass'' the necessary vote on account, the BJP leaders pointed out to the Speaker.

The BJP leaders told Sangma that if by Monday ''no government is on the horizon'' it would be difficult to steer the Finance Bill ''without a finance minister.''

Singh said the Speaker had ''broadly'' concurred with their view. Sangma has called an all-party meeting at 0930 hours on Monday.

Until the uncertainty and suspense was resolved, Singh said Parliament should not shoulder the responsibility of the previous government.