The winter session of Parliament that usually commences by last week of November is unlikely to be held due to the high number of coronavirus (COVID -19) positive cases in Delhi, according to sources.
As per the Parliamentary records, there had been only three such instances - 1975, 1979 and 1984.
Also read: Parliament proceedings | Monsoon Session ends in a flurry of protests
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) meets to decide the dates of the session and an announcement has to be made giving the members at least two weeks of notice. So far, the CCPA has not met and the government is mulling that the Budget session of Parliament that begins usually on February 1 and the winter session should be combined. The Constitution mandates there should not be a gap of six months or more between two sessions. With the monsoon session held in September, the government has no constitutional compulsion to hold a winter session.
40 MPs had tested positive
During the monsoon session, nearly 40 MPs tested COVID-19 positive. Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu also tested positive soon after the conclusion of the winter session. So far, three MPs - Kanyakumari MP H Vasanthakumar, Tirupathi MP Balli Durga Prasad, and Rajya Sabha member Ashok Gasti have died due to complications arising from COVID-19 infection. None of them had attended the session.
Editorial | Safe session: On monsoon session of Parliament
The monsoon session that was called on September 14 was supposed to go on till October 1 with a total 18 sittings. It was cut short by eight days and concluded on September 24. The previous Budget session too ended abruptly on March 23 for a similar reason.
