Express News Service By

NEW DELHI: Launching a scathing attack on the Congress over disruptions in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked the party to take a New Year resolution to allow Parliament to function for the sake of development.

Having “enjoyed power” for over six decades, he contended that the Congress had no right to destroy the functioning of Parliament for “political reasons” and hold back the country’s development. Modi was addressing a public rally after laying the foundation stone for a 14-lane expressway connecting Delhi to Meerut in Noida.

“Tomorrow is January 1. When you are going to celebrate New Year, you should take a vow to allow Parliament to run and do its work and not pose hurdles for the country’s development,” Modi said.

Targeting the Congress, Modi said, “This is the misfortune of India, Parliament where laws are made is not being allowed to function. Those who have been rejected by people have seized its functioning.

“They do not allow Parliament to run. I request all these political parties not to do so. Since I have not got an opportunity to speak in Lok Sabha, I am taking the opportunity to air my views in ‘Jan Sabha’. People have sent us to Parliament to debate, discuss and decide,” he said. “It is our responsibility to accomplish the work entrusted to us by people. This responsibility specially lies on those who have ruled the country for over 60 years... It is specially their responsibility to ensure country’s development is not stopped because of their political reasons...” he said.

“I understand the anger of those who have not got a chance to rule the country. But those who have enjoyed all kinds of power for 60 years have no right to halt Parliament and destroy its functioning,” he said. Modi’s attack comes after key government bills were held up due to a stalemate with the opposition party during the Winter session.

Modi also announced that the Centre had abolished interviews for class III and class IV employees.

On Thursday, Modi also met with bureaucrats for 70 minutes and asked them to “break silos” and “get cracking” to deliver results, leveraging their experience.

He appreciated the work done by them over the last year and a half. He said the “vast expertise” of the Secretaries in various domains of the governance, should now be leveraged to bring about “breakthroughs, rather than incremental change”, a PMO statement said. The PM exhorted Secretaries to come up with ideas for “transformative change”

parl canteen raises prices

Food items at the Parliament canteen will be a bit costlier from the New Year. According to the new order approved by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, a veg thali, which earlier cost Rs 18, will now cost Rs 30 and non-veg thali will cost Rs 60 instead of Rs 33. A three-course meal will now cost Rs 90 instead of Rs 61.