The committees of Parliament cannot be held virtually amid the coronavirus crisis as that would require an amendment of rules which is not possible at the moment, a Rajya Sabha communique to Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said on Friday.
Departmentally-related standing committees are committees with members from both Houses of Parliament that deal with expenditure, laws and policies of specific ministries. These panels form an integral part of Parliament as they discuss laws by analysing them in depth, scrutinise bills and seek expert advice.
Nearly all meetings of Parliament’s standing committees have come to a standstill in the past few weeks as a fierce second wave of the pandemic sweeps through the country, making it impossible for lawmakers to travel to Delhi to participate in the proceedings.
Last week, Kharge wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu, requesting him to hold the meetings virtually. The Congress leader said that this was necessary…