First session of new Lok Sabha June 1-9  

New Delhi, May 23 .The first session of the newly elected 15th Lok Sabha will be held June 1-9 and will have seven sittings. The decision was taken Saturday at the first meeting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet that was sworn in Friday.

"The union cabinet today (Saturday) decided to recommend to the president the convening of the parliament session from June 1 onwards for seven sittings," Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters after the cabinet meeting at the prime minister's residence.

"This session is proposed to begin with the swearing-in of the newly elected Lok Sabha members on the first two days.

"The speaker is due to be elected on the third day of the session (June 3). The president is due to address the joint session of parliament in Central Hall on the fourth day of the session, that is, on Friday," Chidambaram said.

"The Motion of Thanks on the president's address is likely to be taken up on June 5, 8 and 9, after which the session will conclude," the home minister added.

Simultaneously, the 216th session of the Rajya Sabha will begin June 4 and will continue till June 9, he said.

"There will be a short break before the budget session," Chidambaram said.

"The previous government had taken a vote on account till July 31. It is our hope that the full budget will be passed by then. If it is not, another vote on account for a brief period can be taken," said Chidambaram, who was the finance minister till the 26/11 Mumbai mayhem.