Hope for good debate on economy in Budget session: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the Budget Session of Parliament would try to establish a base for the bright future of this decade and economy would be the centre of discussion.

Modi's remarks came before President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of Parliament at 11 a.m., a routine affair before the beginning of a new session.

The Budget session, the third of 17th Lok Sabha and the first of 2020, will be held in two phases -- from January 31 to February 11 and from March 2 to April 3.

"This is the first session of 2020. This is also the first session of this decade. Our efforts should be to establish a strong base for the bright future of this decade in this session," Modi told media in Parliament premises ahead of the start of the session.

He said that this new year's budget will be presented on Saturday and the discussion in this session will be mostly "focussed on economic issues".

"It will be focussed how India can get the benefit from the world economic situation to make the country's financial condition even more strong. It will be focussed how India could get the maximum benefit from the world economy."

Referring that his government's priority has been to empower Dalits, backwards and women, the Prime Minister said the focus will be in that direction in this decade too.

"I want that there should be an extensive discussion on the empowerment of the people in this budget session. There should be a good productive discussion." IANS