The opposition demand for a virtual meeting of parliamentary committees is likely to be rejected reportedly over the confidentiality clause. Sources said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will hold a meeting on Saturday on the demands of holding virtual meetings of the parliamentary committee.
Sources have also said the demand to hold virtual meetings via videoconferencing is likely to be rejected citing sensitive information being leaked via unsafe platforms.
Sources also said that with the reopening of air and rail services in a graded manner, there would be no obstacle in the movement of parliamentary committee members. The meetings of both houses of Parliament were suspended over the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
Parliament committee meetings will resume in the first week of June, sources said.
Several Opposition leaders and parliamentary committee members had demanded virtual meetings via videoconferencing.
On Friday, opposition parties, chaired by interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, held a virtual meeting in which they attacked the Modi government over the handling of coronavirus crisis in the country, with Sonia Gandhi terming the prime minister’s announcement of the economic package to deal with the situation as a “cruel joke on the country”.
These parties also asked the Centre to present a revised comprehensive economic package that will be a “true stimulus” and sought reversal of all unilateral policy decisions, especially pertaining to labour laws, as they put forth an 11-point demand charter before the government during a virtual meeting, called by the Congress to discuss the situation arising out of the pandemic as well as the lockdown.
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