Parl to have special sitting on Sunday to mark 60 yrs

Both Houses of Parliament will mark the 60th anniversary of their first sitting by holding a special sittings on Sunday.

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will meet at 11 am on Sunday (May 13) to discuss 'The Journey of 60 years of Indian Parliament'.

A function will be held in the Central Hall of Parliament House at 5.30 pm when President Pratibha Patil will address the members of the two Houses. Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha Mohd Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will also address the joint sitting.

Two living members of the first Lok Sabha Reishang Keishing and Resham Lal Jangde will be felicitated on the ocassion. 91-year-old Keishing, a member of the Rajya Sabha, was member of the first and third Lok Sabha. Jangde was a member of first, second and ninth Lok Sabha.

Patil will release coins of Rs 5 and Rs 10 denomination to mark the occasion along with a special stamp.

The President will release three books -- Members' Introduction: First Lok Sabha; Speakers of Lok Sabha and '60 years of the Lok Sabha: An Analysis' on the occasion. The books are published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Patil will also release five other books 'Selected Speeches of Women Members of the Constituent Assembly', 'Welcome Respected Chairman', '60 years of the Rajya Sabha', 'Computerisation of the Rajya Sabha: An Overview' and 'Nominated Members of the Rajya Sabha'.

A cultural programme featuring santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Sitarist Debu Chaudhuri, Carnatic vocalist Maharajapuram Ramachandran, singer Shubha Mudgal and Iqbal Khan will light up the evening.