Derek O'Brien writes to Nadda, expressing concern over delay in parl panels

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TMC leader Derek O'Brien has written to Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha J P Nadda expressing concern over the delay in the re-constitution of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DPSCs), saying that it has profound implications for the democratic process.

In his letter to Nadda dated August 27, O'Brien said that as per the request of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat dated July 9, different parties had to submit their nominations before July 17, prior to the start of the monsoon session.

He said the Trinamool Congress submitted its nominations on July 12.

"When we met in the Rajya Sabha, I had verbally brought this up. You had verbally assured me that the committees would be formed within the duration of the Monsoon Session. Unfortunately, even as August slips by, the parliamentary committees have still not been constituted," O'Brien said in his letter.

"This has profound implications for our democratic process and the quality of legislation enacted. Allow me to point out that in recent years, there has been a marked reduction in the number of Bills referred to parliamentary standing committees or select committees for thorough scrutiny," said the parliamentary party leader of the TMC in the Rajya Sabha.

Only 13 per cent of the bills passed in the Rajya Sabha between 2014-24 were referred to parliamentary committees, while 16 per cent were referred to standing committees in the 17th Lok Sabha.

He listed legislations like the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Bill, 2023, farm bills and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 as examples of important legislation passed without proper scrutiny.

O'Brien also said that there has been a reduction in the number of working days of Parliament.

"The duration of parliamentary sessions is a very limited time to consult stakeholders and get into the intricacies of the matters discussed in the House. Since DPSCs give more time for members to discuss important matters, the members are eager to start with the same," he said.

"I urge you to consider the importance of this issue and to ensure that the parliamentary process is adhered to," he said.

"I look forward to you constituting the DPSCs immediately. Enough precious time has been lost," the TMC leader added.

There are 16 DPSCs under the Lok Sabha and eight under the Rajya Sabha.

The 17th Lok Sabha, which had 272 sittings during its five-year tenure from 2019-2024, had the lowest number of sittings among the full-term Lok Sabhas, according to data compiled by think tank PRS Legislative Research.