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Lok Sabha Speaker to chair virtual meet on Apr 19 to discuss Covid-19 situation
The meeting will be held amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country and is the first such gathering of presiding officers to discuss the role of legislative assemblies during a pandemic
Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla has called a virtual meeting of presiding officers of state assemblies on April 19 to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country and the role of the public representatives, according to circular issued in this regard.
The meeting will be held amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country and is the first such gathering of presiding officers to discuss the role of legislative assemblies during a pandemic.
The meetings of speakers have been regularly held over the issues such as governance and legislative policy. A two-day all-India presiding officer’s conference was held last year in October in Gujarat to discuss the harmonious coordination between the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
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The pandemic has come as a huge challenge for the elected representatives in terms of their work in their constituencies and keeping in contact with their voters.
The government has also stopped the release of funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme for two years. This has further affected the scope of the work of lawmakers.
In 2020, the Indian Parliament had to scrap its Winter Session and curtail the two remaining sessions due to Covid-19. This year too, the Budget Session was curtailed.
Parliament normally holds three sessions in a calendar year–Budget (end of January to early April), Monsoon (July to August), and Winter (November to December). The Budget Session last year was cut short by eight days, and an already shortened Monsoon Session was also reduced by the same duration due to the pandemic.
