Meira Kumar convenes all-party meeting ahead of Budget session

September 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian parliament's sittings should be increased to 110 days a year, Speaker Meira Kumar said Saturday. "We should increase the number of sittings (of parliament) to 110 days," the speaker told reporters here, adding that "disruption of the house proceedings is a major concern for everybody".

September 25th, 2009 BIHTA - Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday laid the foundation stone for a hospital in here, about 40 kilometers from Patna, capital of Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was present on the occasion.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The budget session of parliament began on a stormy note Thursday with opposition members staging angry protests over the hike in petrol and diesel prices, forcing the speaker to adjourn the Lok Sabha twice. Minutes after the house assembled, almost all the opposition members led by the Left parties were on their feet, demanding that the hike in petrol and diesel prices be withdrawn immediately.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The budget session of parliament began on a stormy note Thursday as almost the entire opposition staged angry protests over the hike in petrol and diesel prices, forcing the speaker to adjourn the Lok Sabha. The protest, led by the Left parties, started soon after Speaker Meira Kumar concluded reading obituary references to two former members minutes after the house assembled.

July 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The next session of Parliament will begin on Thursday. The Economic Survey will be presented in the Lok Sabha on July 2.

June 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar paid floral tribute at the memorials of various prominent leaders here on Saturday. Starting with Rajghat, the memorial to the Father of India, Mahatma Gandhi, she also paid a visit to the memorials of her father, Jagjivan Ram and Indira Gandhi.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Meira Kumar, who was elected the first woman speaker of India Wednesday, exhorted Lok Sabha MPs to put the elections behind them and address the social and economic problems facing the country. Speaking in the Lok Sabha after being elected to the coveted post, Meira Kumar, a five-time MP, said: The world is passing through its worst-ever recession and India is not separated from it.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Meira Kumar, the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha, Wednesday said she would be impartial and give equal opportunity to all members to express their views. "It will be my endeavour that I am completely impartial in my conduct and I give opportunity to all the members to express their views," Meira Kumar said, addressing her first press conference after being elected speaker of the lower house of parliament.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Meira Kumar, the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha, impressed the opposition MPs on her first day in chair, with many saying she will be a success in this role. "She was very impressive as speaker.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - After being unanimously chosen as Speaker of Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar reiterated on Wednesday that she would be impartial in executing her tasks as the presiding officer of the lower house of the parliament. "It would be my endeavour that I am completely impartial in my conduct and I will give opportunity to all the members to express their views.

June 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress leader Meira Kumar Tuesday filed her nomination for the post of Lok Sabha speaker. Her nomination, proposed by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Congress in the house Pranab Mukherjee, leader of opposition L.K.

June 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Meira Kumar, who is set to take over as India's first woman Lok Sabha speaker, Monday expertly dodged persistent queries from waiting media persons, saying with a smile: "Wait till June 3" - the day of election for the post. Meira Kumar, 64, quit as cabinet minister for water resources Sunday.

May 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Water Resource Minister and Congress leader Meira Kumar called on Congress party President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday afternoon. The meet, which was held at 10, Janpath, Sonia Gandhi's residence, gave strength to speculations about her getting a nomination of Congress Party for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker.

May 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The first session of the 15th Lok Sabha begins Monday as a resurgent Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was set to start a new innings and an humbled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it will play the role of a "constructive opposition." The session will begin with the formal swearing in of the 543 newly elected MPs. Two days have been earmarked for the procedure that will be followed by the election of the Lok Sabha speaker Wednesday and President Pratibha Patil's address to a joint session of parliament Thursday.

May 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is readying for the first session of the 15th Lok Sabha from Monday with the formal swearing in of the 543 newly elected MPs. Two days have been earmarked for the procedure that will be followed by the election of the Lok Sabha speaker and the joint address to parliament by President Pratibha Patil.