'Don't schedule Parl Committee meetings during session'

 New Delhi: Meetings of Parliamentary committees should not be scheduled during the session as it becomes difficult to take part in the proceedings of the House, said a number of members in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Raising the issue, Naresh Agrawal (SP) asked, "do we take part in the proceedings of the House or attend meetings of a committee?"

Digvijay Singh (Cong) agreed with Agrawal and said it becomes difficult for the members.

He suggested that meetings of parliamentary panels on ordinary issues should be held after the session. Only on urgent matters the meetings should be held during a session, he added.

D Raja of CPI echoed similar views and asked the Chair to take up this issue and resolve it. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) also raised this issue.

DP Tripathi (NCP) said the meetings of parliamentary committees should be scheduled after 5pm during a session.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said this is an important matter and that he too had felt the same problem earlier.

He cited a 16-year old direction by the Chairman that stated that the meetings of committees to be held at 3 pm.

"I will convey the wishes of the House to the Chairman and I will request him to revisit this issue," Kurien said.

Meanwhile, Madhusudan Mistry of Congress said he had given a notice for short-duration discussion on plight of agricultural labourers but the same has not been accepted yet. He wanted to know "how this is being decided".

To this, Kurien said it was the prerogative of the Chairman to decide on this matter. He said there are so many demands and it was not possible for the Chairman to select all.