Congress says standing panels made irrelevant

The opposition pointed out that of 51 new bills introduced by the government, 43 have not been sent to any standing committee and accused the government of making standing committees “irrelevant” and of bypassing legislative scrutiny.

Raising the issue during zero hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress’s Anand Sharma said, “Standing committees are virtually being made irrelevant. If bills are not going through the scrutiny of standing committees, what does the government propose to do with standing committees? … Standing committees have to continue, legislative scrutiny cannot be bypassed.” Sharma said standing commitees “do useful work” and accused the government of bypassing legislative scrutiny by introducing bills in Lok Sabha where it enjoys a brute majority”. “The government must come clean on this. Why are you avoiding parliamentary scrutiny?”

The opposition said there was a basic difference between referring a bill to a select committee and a standing committee, as the former comprised members only of one House while a standing committee comprised a number from both.

The opposition wanted the government to respond but it did not.

Source:: Indian Express