Rajya Sabha Secretariat announces 8-point protocol for meetings of standing committees

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Tuesday announced an eight-point protocol to be followed for meetings of the department related parliamentary standing committees of the House.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Tuesday announced an eight-point protocol to be followed for meetings of the department related parliamentary standing committees of the House. The protocol has been announced ahead of the scheduled meetings of two standing committees to examine various aspects related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Standing Committee on Science and Technology and Environment and Forests has been convened on July 10 while the committee on Home Affairs is to meet on July 15. The protocols include six feet distance between seating of members of the committee, material related to the meetings to be supplied as soft copies, reporters to be accommodated in the well of the committee rooms for taking notes of the proceedings, and participation of officials to be restricted.

Apart from this, although there is no restriction on the number of witnesses needed to be examined by the committees but only two witnesses from the ministry/department appearing before the committee for evidence would be allowed at a time and if more number of witnesses were to be examined, it would have to be done in turns. Attendance of the members would be marked outside the committee rooms.

The number of participants will be ascertained in advance so as to ensure necessary logistics and hand sanitizers, disposable masks and gloves for the members, witnesses, officers and staff of the secretariat will be ensured at the entrance of committee rooms. Senior officials of the secretariat discussed various aspects of the protocol to be followed at a meeting on Monday and announced the updated protocol ahead of the two scheduled meetings.

The officials first discussed the protocol to be followed on May 28 anticipating meetings of some committees after the restrictions on domestic air travel were removed from May 25. A meeting of Standing Committee on Home Affairs was convened on June 3 but it was deferred on account of members expressing their inability to attend the meetings in view of the situation created by coronavirus.

Eight Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committees are serviced by Rajya Sabha secretariat and 16 by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. (ANI)

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