The government announced that the Winter Session of Parliament has been called off in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said Parliament will next meet in January for the Budget Session.
“Various political party leaders expressed their concerns about the pandemic and opined of doing away with the Winter Session. Appropriate to have Budget Session2021 in January,” Joshi said in response to a letter by Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, seeking the convening of the Winter Session of Parliament.
It may be recalled that Chowdhury had in the letter written to Lok Sabha Speaker called for convening a short Winter Session to take up crucial issues like the farmers’ agitation.
However, the government informed the Congress’s leader in the Lok Sabha that floor leaders of many parties were not in favour of convening Parliament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indian Express quoted Joshi as telling Chowdhury in the letter: “You are aware that the Monsoon Session was slightly delayed, and was held in September 2020 due to extraordinary situation arising out of Covid-19 pandemic, following all precautionary protocols…. the Session proved to be one of the most productive sessions of Parliament, with 27 Bills passed by both Houses in 10 continuous sittings.”
“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,” he added.
The minister said the government is willing to convene the next session of Parliament at the earliest. “It would be appropriate to have the Budget Session, 2021 in January, keeping in mind the unprecedented circumstances created by Covid-19 pandemic,” he stated.
