RS chairman may ask parties to ensure presence of their MPs in Par panel meets, or will drop them: Sources

Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu is likely to ask floor leaders of all parties to ensure presence of their respective MPs in the parliamentary standing committee meetings and may also drop them if they failed to attend two consecutive such meetings without prior intimation, sources said on Thursday.

Taking a strong cognisance of only four members attending the crucial meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on urban development over the issue of pollution in Delhi, the Rajya Sabha chairman is keen to ensure that members take the committees seriously, a source said.

There is a rule if a member doesn't attend a parliamentary panel's meeting he can be dropped from that standing committee, a source in the Rajya Sabha secretariat said.

"Rajya Sabha Chairman is likely to write a letter asking leaders of all parties to ensure presence of their MPs. He wants that parliamentarians should take committees seriously," the source cited above said.

On the dress of marshals in the upper house, the source said they themselves were not happy with their earlier outfit, especially the head gear. So the dress was changed and was designed by the National Institute of Design (NID).

The dress was designed after studying dresses of marshals of four-five assemblies, the source said.

New dress is under consideration and it is also likely to be changed, they said.