Ahead of finalising the members of parliamentary standing committees, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has sought details of the number of the meetings held by the panels and the attendance of members, according to a circular issued by Lok Sabha Secretariat. A majority of the parliamentary committees are constituted every year mostly in September. It is the prerogative of the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman to nominate members in these panels after consulting with the government.
Birla has also constituted a small committee of Lok Sabha Secretariat officers to examine the rules governing the functioning of the committees and suggest any changes that are necessary in light of developments of the recent year, according to another official circular. The developments assume significance as there were controversies over the meetings of certain standing committees, including the one on Information Technology that witnessed a political slugfest between its chairman – Congress leader Shashi Tharoor – and its member Nishikant Dubey of the BJP.
Dubey had even demanded the removal of Tharoor as chairman of the committee. The Lok Sabha Speaker office has asked the Lok Sabha secretariat to give details of the total number of sittings" of both standing committees and other parliamentary panels held during the current term and the attendance of MPs in those meetings.
Sources said both these steps are being taken at a time when the Lok Sabha Speaker is in the process of finalising the reconstitution of the parliamentary panels to further streamline the functioning of the standing committees. There are more than 25 parliamentary committees under the jurisdiction of the Lok Sabha Secretariat and eight under the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. The members and chairmanship of the parliamentary standing committees are alloted based on a political party's strength in both Houses of Parliament.
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