Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to deviate from his own diktat that politicians should retire at 70. Rather, his 73rd birthday on Sunday will be marked by a ceremonial hoisting of the Tricolour in front of the New Parliament building, a day before the start of the special session.
Upcoming Monsoon session
The flag hoisting is to mark Vishwakarma Puja, Parliament officials clarified. This will be the first ceremonial flag hoisting event at the New Parliament building, which signifies the importance of the upcoming session. The special session, scheduled from September 18 to 22, will commence in the old building and then move to the new building. It will be the first to be conducted in the new Parliament, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 28 May.
The agenda for the special session still remains undisclosed. Preparations for the "national flag-hoisting function" in front of the Gaj Dwar, one of the three ceremonial entrances of the new building, have begun. Senior officials from the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry and the CPWD conducted visits to the new building ahead of the upcoming session.
Additional control room being set up
An additional control room was being set up to address any issues that may arise during the session, in addition to the existing Integrated Building Management System control room. The cafes and kitchens in the new building are also expected to be operational during the session. Following the special Parliament session, the New Parliament building will host speakers from legislatures of G20 countries for the "Parlia ment20" meeting scheduled on 13-14 October.
