Ruling out holding any virtual sessions, various standing committees of Parliament are likely to resume their regular meeting from July. The standing committees have not been holding their sittings due to the severe second wave of COVID-19.
Sources informed ANI that with most of the members of parliament, senior officials, and support staff now vaccinated and active cases of COVID-19 coming down, these meetings can now likely resume from July.
This comes even as the Congress and some other opposition parties had urged the secretariats both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to hold these meetings virtually. However, the suggestion to hold virtual meetings has been rejected by both the Houses due to fears that the proceeding of the committees could be leaked. The proceedings of these committees are confidential and can’t be shared in the public domain without proper consent, sources pointed out.
“There is no provision of the virtual parliamentary standing committee meetings. It was declined by both the secretariats when few members asked to convene these meeting. These meetings are confidential and there are chances of leaking the video of these meetings,” sources told ANI.
A senior minister, when asked about holding these meetings virtually opined, “There should be no virtual meet. These are the most confidential meetings and many are related to the security of the nation.
Sources stated that it has already been communicated to the members that virtual meetings are not possible due to the confidentiality and the sensitive character of these meetings.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to request the convening of parliamentary standing committee meetings virtually. “Mr Prime Minister Sir, @narendramodi. Since you seem to be in one of those rarest of rare moods – of listening to the Opposition. Please do agree to have online meetings of Parliamentary Standing Committees. Please make Digital India a reality!” he tweeted.
Mr. Prime Minister sir, @narendramodi. Since you seem to be in one of those rarest of rare moods — of listening to the Opposition. Please do agree to have online meetings of Parliamentary Standing Committees. Please make Digital India a reality!
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 8, 2021
