There will be no Question Hour, a curtailed Zero Hour and no private members’ bills during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
New Delhi: There will be no Question Hour, a curtailed Zero Hour and no private members’ bills during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats decided- a move that drew opposition to accuse the government of trying to run away from the debate in the name of pandemic and of reducing parliament to a mere notice board.
In separate notifications, the two secretariats also said there will be no breaks as well during the session to be held from September 14 to October 1, and both Houses will function on Saturdays and Sundays as well. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will be held in two shifts – 9 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 7 PM. Except for the first day, the Rajya Sabha will sit in the morning shift and the Lok Sabha will sit in the evening, according to the notifications.
“There will be no Question Hour during the Session. In view of the request of the government owing to the prevailing extraordinary situation due to COVID-19, the Speaker has directed that no day be fixed for the transaction of Private Members’ Business during the Session,” the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a notification.
Opposing the move, Trinamool Congress MP and Floor Leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’ Brien said opposition MPs will lose the right to question the government and alleged that the pandemic was being used as an “excuse to murder democracy“.
The Congress party also tweeted separately that questioning the government is the “life-blood of parliamentary democracy“.
Responding to the criticism, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the Parliament session is being held under special and extraordinary circumstances.
Both Question Hour and Zero Hour are the key elements of Parliament Sessions. It is during the Question Hour that the members can ask questions on every aspect of administration and Governmental activity. During Zero Hour, members may raise any kind of question without any permission or prior notice.
