Congress leader urges LS speaker not to curtail members' power to ask questions in House

New Delhi, Aug 28: Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to Speaker Om Birla on Friday, urging him not to curtail the power of the members to ask questions and raise issues during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that is likely to commence from September 14.

In a letter to the speaker, Chowdhury said curtailing the Question Hour and the Zero Hour would not be in the interest of elected representatives, especially in the current times of COVID-19.

"There appears to be a proposal for curtailing the Question Hour as well as the Zero Hour during the Session by way of restricting the allocation of time as well as the number of notices that could be filed by the members," he said.

The Congress leader told the speaker that raising questions in Parliament and issues of public importance during the Zero Hour are foremost of the procedural methods available to the members to vent issues of national and public importance.

Curtailing the Question Hour and Zero Hour by restricting the number of issues that could be raised and the time earmarked "would not be in the interest of elected representatives", he said.

"I would, therefore, urge upon you to ensure that no curtailment of any kind is placed in regard to the Question Hour and Zero Hour in the ensuing Session and members are permitted to raise questions and issues, as are normally permissible when Parliament is in session," Chowdhury wrote to the speaker.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament is likely to commence from September 14 with many new measures keeping in view the restrictions and physical-distancing norms due to COVID-19 and continue till October 1, sources have said.

with PTI inputs