Thursday, February 17 2005 18:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: As part of efforts to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament in the Budget Session commencing from February 25, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee will be meeting leaders of the ruling and Opposition parties in the coming week.

He will be meeting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on February 22 followed by an interaction with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and others the next day, sources said.

"This is part of the exercise undertaken by the Speaker at the beginning of every session of Parliament so that all the parties are able to arrive at a consensus and ensure smooth functioning of the House," they said.

Chatterjee had undertaken a similar exercise prior to the winter session of Parliament and before the monsoon session.

However, the monsoon session had adjourned ahead of schedule in the wake of the Opposition raising the issue of "tainted" Ministers.