No Winter Session due to spurt in Covid cases, Budget Session in Jan 2021
Tue, Dec 15 2020 12:47:00 PM
New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS): Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi in his letter to Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury made it clear that no winter session of Parliament will be convened due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Budget Session is likely to be called in January 2021.
Chowdhury, in his letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on December 3 mentioned a number of issues such as farmers agitation, status/preparation of Covid-19 vaccine, Chinese intrusion, economic slowdown and unemployment scenario to press for the short Winter Session.
Parties said no to winter session amid pandemic, Budget session in January: Govt
Lok Sabha
File Photo
The Centre has said that the Winter session of Parliament was not held due to the concerns expressed by political party leaders over the pandemic and Budget session will be held in January.
Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had urged Speaker Om Birla to convene a short winter session of the House to discuss several issues including the farmers agitation and preparation of COVID-19 vaccine.
Responding to the letter, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, 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.â
: Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 4:46 PM IST
FPJ Evening Brief: No winter session due to spurt in COVID cases; AAP to contest UP Assembly elections; and other top 5 news of December 15, 2020
FPJ Evening Brief
1. No winter session due to spurt in COVID cases, budget session in Jan 2021
The government has said that the winter session of Parliament will not be held this year in view of the spurt in COVID-19 cases and that it will be appropriate to convene the budget session in January next year.
In a letter to the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, Winter months are very crucial for managing the pandemic because of 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.
The winter session of Parliament will not be held this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Budget session will be convened in January 2021, the government has conveyed to the opposition, a move slammed by the Congress as the decimation of parliamentary democracy . In a letter to leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, Winter months are very crucial for managing the pandemic because of 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.
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 Covid-19 pandemic, Joshi wrote.
Talking about the monsoon session which was delayed due to the pandemic, he appreciated cooperation from all political parties for a productive session held under extraordinary circumstances by making special logistical arrangements.
Senior Congress leader and the Party s chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh said the Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, Ghulam Nabi Azad, was not consulted on the cancelling the winter session.