Members must ensure compliance with standards of physical distance. (File)
New Delhi:
Members of Parliament participating in meetings of the Parliamentary Standing Committee must be seated six feet apart and no more than two witnesses from the department concerned may appear before the panel at a time.
This is part of the eight-point protocol established by the Rajya Sabha secretariat with the COVID-19 pandemic in mind, before the meetings of the Standing Committees on Science and Technology and Home Affairs on July 10 and 15 respectively.
The meeting of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs was convened by its chairman Anand Sharma on June 3, but it had to be canceled because the members expressed their inability to attend given the current situation due to the pandemic.
As members had difficulty attending panel meetings due to travel and quarantine restrictions, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who is chair of the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, the Environment and climate change, wrote to Rajya Sabha’s president, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, to allow members’ virtual participation in the meeting.
The two presidents of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had previously deliberated on the issue of holding virtual panel meetings. However, they did not give their approval due to existing rules which require changes by the Rules Committee of Parliament and a resolution from the House, sources said.
The Rajya Sabha has eight standing parliamentary committees of the House, two of which are chaired by leaders of Congress, Anand Sharma and Jairam Ramesh.
“Respected Mr. Venkaiah Naidu Garu, the Standing Committee on Science and Technology is scheduled to meet on July 10. Members of all parties have requested a virtual meeting of the Committee to discuss S&T issues related to COVID-19. hope you allow it. Where there will be, there are skills (sic), “Ramesh said on Twitter.
In his letter to the President, Mr. Ramesh said that the group will discuss current S&T issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic and current and future S&T programs to improve resilience and the capacity to cope with them. fits.
“Many members of the Committee expressed their inability to attend this meeting due to travel restrictions, quarantine and other constraints. I doubt that we will be able to establish a quorum.
“But each member, regardless of party affiliation, has requested a virtual meeting of the Committee. It can certainly be arranged – a number of other countries have even held plenary sessions of Parliament in virtual mode. once again to authorize virtual meetings of the standing committees, “he said.
In accordance with the protocol for Rajya Sabha committee meetings, members must guarantee compliance with standards of physical distance.
Rajya Sabha’s secretariat had discussed the protocol to be followed on May 28, anticipating certain committee meetings after the removal of restrictions on domestic air travel on May 25.
Officials discussed the issue again and announced the updated protocol before the two scheduled meetings.
“The members of the Committee must be seated at a distance of 6 feet and appropriate arrangements must be made to allow the maximum possible participation.
“Only two Ministry / Department witnesses appearing before the Committee to testify would be admitted at a time and if more witnesses were to be interviewed, this would be done in turn.
There is no restriction on the number of witnesses to be examined by the commissions, “according to the new protocol.
He also said that documents relating to the meetings would be provided to members in the form of electronic copies and that journalists would be housed in the wells of committee rooms to take note verbatim of the work of committees.
If the attendance of officials linked to committees will be limited, the participation of members in meetings will be checked in advance to ensure the necessary logistics.
Hand sanitizers, disposable masks and gloves for members, witnesses, officers and Secretariat staff will be provided at the entrance to the committee rooms and will also be present outside in accordance with new protocols , the sources said.
