TMC questions delay in Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committees formation

New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress has questioned the delay in constituting the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committees after the new Lok Sabha came into being, even as the government has initiated discussions with the main Opposition party Congress on the panels that the latter could head.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien wrote to Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha J P Nadda on Tuesday expressing concerns over the delay and the ruling BJP’s earlier promise of forming the panels during the Monsoon Session of Parliament in July-August.

O’Brien said the Rajya Sabha Secretariat had on July 9 sought names from parties for the panels before July 17 and the Trinamool had submitted the names. “Unfortunately, even as August slips by, the Parliamentary Committees have still not been constituted,” he said.

“This has profound implications for our democratic process and the quality of legislation enacted. Allow me to point out that in recent years, there has been a marked reduction in the number of Bills referred to parliamentary standing committees or select committees for thorough scrutiny,” he said.

With Parliament witnessing a “reduction” in the number of working days and durations of sessions giving very limited time for wide-ranging consultations, he highlighted the importance of Standing Committees and said MPs are eager to have it as it gives enough time for deliberations.

Sources indicated that the 24 multi-party committees with members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be in place by September 10. Sixteen panels are under the watch of Lok Sabha while eight are helmed by Rajya Sabha.

Last week, senior union ministers held discussions with the Congress, which has demanded chairmanships of five panels. However, the government is inclined to give leadership roles only in three panels but is willing to discuss giving one more.

Sources said Congress has demanded the chairmanship of one of the three main panels – Finance, Defence and External Affairs helmed by Lok Sabha. It also has demanded chairmanships of Social Justice and Agriculture panels but the government is learnt to have offered Labour and Rural Development only.

Among the eight panels, Congress is eyeing Home Affairs but the government is offering the Science and Technology panel.

Congress sources said the discussions are still on. Government has indicated to the Opposition that it wants to accommodate Samajwadi Party, DMK and Trinamool Congress by giving them chairmanships of panels.

SP sources said they may not insist on a panel chairmanship from the Lok Sabha poll but instead would want a panel administered by Rajya Sabha, as it wants its senior leader and Rajya Sabha floor leader Ramgopal Yadav to head a Parliamentary panel.