With India witnessing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in recent days, various meetings of the Parliamentary Standing Committees postponed due to the surge in coronavirus infections. The meeting of the Standing committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, scheduled to be held on April 19, has been postponed.
"Members are informed that the meeting of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice scheduled to take place at 3 pm on Monday, April 19 stands postponed due to prevailing Covid situation. The next date of the meeting of the Committee will intimate in due course," a Rajya Sabha Secretariat letter read on Friday.
The meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology (IT) postponed due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Loksabha Secretariat letter reads, "In supersession of this Secretariat Notice of even number dated March 31 and April 9 2021. Members informed that the sitting of the Standing Committee on Information Technology (2020-21) scheduled to take place on Friday. April 16 from 4 pm in Committee Room 'B', Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi has been postponed."
Recently, the meeting of the Parliamentary Panel for Health waspostponed due to the same reason.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Panel for Urban Development (HUD) Jagadambika Pal has tested positive for Covid-19. However, many members are in favour to hold parliamentary-related meetings virtually.
Meanwhile, an AAP Rajya Sabha member said, "It is not possible to stop government work but for some time. We can change our work-nature as panel meetings can take place virtually". Parliamentary panel for transport, tourism and culture chairman taking the discussion to discuss on an important subject to hear the senior representatives of Private Airlines and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on issues related to Airport Authority of India (AAI) and other private airport operators with reference to operations, air traffic management and passenger facilitation. India reported its highest-ever single-day spike in COVID-19 cases with over 2.17 lakh new cases. In the last 24 hours, 1,185 COVID-related deaths reported in the country taking the death toll to 1,74,308.
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