No winter session of Parliament due to COVID-19, says Prahlad Joshi
First Published: 15th December, 2020 14:48 IST
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi has said that he has informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and they have expressed their concerns about the ongoing COVID-19
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi has said that he has informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and they have expressed their concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and opined of doing away with Winter Session of the Parliament.
The Minister said this in a letter dated December 14, 2020, addressed to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who on December 3 wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for convening a short winter session of Parliament.
“You are aware that the Monsoon Session of Parliament was slightly delayed, and was held in September 2020 due to an extraordinary situation arising out of COVID-19 pandemic, following all precautionary protocols under the standard guidelines making special logistical arrangments and with active cooperation of Members of Parliament from across party lines. As a result, the session proved to be one of the most productive sessions of Parliament with 27 Bills passed by both Houses in 10 continuous sittings,” the Minister said in his letter.
He said that the winter months are very crucial for managing the pandemic because of the recent spurt in cases during this period, particularly in Delhi.
“At present, we are in the middle of December and a covid vaccine is expected very soon. In this regard, I have informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and they have expressed their concerns about the ongoing pandemic and opined of doing away with Winter Session,” he said.
The Minister said that the government is willing to have the next session of Parliament at the earliest.
“It would be appropriate to have the Budget Session, 2021 in January 2021 keeping in mind the unprecedented circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
“Lastly, I deeply appreciate your concerns as a sincere Parliamentarian, and seek your active cooperation for the smooth functioning of the next session of Parliament,” he added.
In a letter to the Speaker on December 3, Chowdhury, who is the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, said a short winter session may be convened taking all precautions against COVID-19. (ANI)
COMMENTS
TOPMOST STORY NOW
Live After almost a month of crisis, fuel situation in state normal: Tripura Minister Sushanta Chowdhury
21st May 2024Live RCTC announces 7-8 days Arunachal tour package from May 31, check price, tour itinerary here
21st May 2024Live Will not allow CAA to be implemented in ADC areas, vows TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Debbarma
21st May 2024Live Tripura: Pradyot Kishore Debbarma and Sudip Roy Barman spur over CAA implementation
21st May 2024WE RECOMMEND
“Will take you to court for every lie you spread”: Swati Maliwal lashes out at AAP
In a post on X, Swati Maliwal claimed that her status in the party changed from "Lady Singham" to "BJP agent" right after she filed a complaint against now-arrested Kumar.
21st May 2024India declares ‘one-day state mourning’ on Tuesday over Iran’s President Raisi’s demise
The Iranian President was returning from a visit to Azerbaijan when his helicopter crashed in Tabriz city.
20th May 202415 labourers killed in Chhattisgarh’s Kawardha after pickup truck falls into ditch
Eight individuals were injured and have been rushed to the hospital for treatment, said Abhishek Pallav, Kawardha SP.
20th May 2024Phase 5 of Lok Sabha polls to decide fate of Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh among others
Of the 49 Lok Sabha seats, 14 are from Uttar Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, 7 from West Bengal, 5 from Bihar, 3 from Jharkhand, 5 from Odisha, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
20th May 2024IMD issues red alert for Delhi; temperature likely to touch 44 degrees
Senior IMD scientist Naresh Kumar said that the current situation will prevail for the next week.
19th May 2024