Winter Session of Parliament scrapped due to coronavirus pandemic
There will no Winter Session of the Parliament this year in view of the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to take hundreds of lives in India daily. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi confirmed this officially in a letter to Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha. The Winter Session usually begins in the last week of November or December's first week.
In the letter, the BJP leader reminded the Congressman that the Monsoon Session was held in September 2020, in unprecedented circumstances. On the day the Session convened, 17 Lok Sabha MPs tested positive. Joshi added that the support from leaders, cutting across party lines, made the previous session extremely successful, as 27 Bills were passed in both the Houses.
Joshi then added that managing the spread of the virus in winter months is crucial. He also drew attention to the rise in cases in Delhi, where the Parliament is based. "At present, we are in the middle of December and a COVID-19 vaccine is expected very soon," he further said.
Considering the crisis, which the entire world is facing, Joshi informally contacted floor leaders, he said in the letter. "They have expressed their concerns about the ongoing pandemic and opined of doing away with Winter Session. The government is willing to have the next session of Parliament at the earliest," he wrote, adding that it would be appropriate to hold the Budget Session in January.
#JUSTIN: - Union Minister Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi writes to @adhirrcinc and makes it official...No Winter Session of parliament. pic.twitter.com/YxvPJ28hvQ
— Rahul Upadhyay (@rahulrajnews) December 15, 2020
However, last month, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had stated that the secretariat was ready to hold the Winter Session. "The Lok Sabha secretariat is prepared to hold the Parliament session. As far as dates are concerned, it is decided by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs," Birla, who oversaw expansive arrangements of the last session, added.
Tellingly, the government had little qualms about holding the Monsoon Session when the pandemic hit its worst phase in India. In mid-September, India was logging nearly one lakh cases daily. In sharp contrast, the daily number of cases has drastically dropped this month. Yesterday, 22,065 fresh cases were registered, India's lowest single-day tally since July 4. 354 people passed away on Monday.
The government's reservations about the Winter Session could be linked to the raging protest by farmers, against three laws that were passed during the Parliament's sittings in September. Riding on historic strength, the government passed three Bills, saying it would swell farmers' income. It rejected the issues raised by the opposition and has now found itself at the receiving end of farmers' ire.
