Speaker to hold all-party meeting on Dec 30-31 on JPC standoff

In yet another attempt to break the deadlock over demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G spectrum issue, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has called an all-party meeting here on Thursday and Friday.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy said in Chennai the meeting was aimed at sorting out the issue regarding the stalling of Parliament, with the just concluded winter session seeing the longest shutdown. Earlier, sources said the Speaker was keen on resolving the deadlock at the earliest, and could call a meeting of leaders before the new year sets in on Saturday.

The budget session of Parliament is expected to start in the third week of February, and the Opposition leaders have threatened to again stall proceedings, if the JPC demand was not met. The meeting could provide an opportunity to both parties which have taken a “hard stance” on the issue, and the Speaker could play the role of a facilitator to break the ice, the sources said.

“Dialogue is the only way to get a solution,” Kumar had recently said, adding “this has commenced and I hope a positive result will come out soon”

While the Opposition stalled Parliament during the winter session over its demand for a JPC, the ruling UPA has also remained adamant on not going for a JPC.

“The present situation is in everybody’s mind. Democracy means to bring about a midde path and solve problems,” Kumar had said, expressing hope that the imbroglio would be resolved soon.

The Speaker had earlier held a meeting with leaders to end the impasse, but it proved futile.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and other Opposition parties insist the Public Accounts Committee does not have the powers to fully investigate the 2G spectrum scam, and a JPC should be constituted. Two all-party meetings had been called by the government to end the impasse, but failed to end the deadlock.