Parliamentary Standing Committees Take Shape: Congress to Lead 4, TMC And DMK 2 Each

The constitution of certain parliamentary standing committees that was pending for a couple of months has finally taken shape. A significant representation has been given to the opposition parties that had been demanding this, sources told CNN-News18.

According to a top source, the Congress, which is the principal opposition party, will be given the chairmanship of four committees, three in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.

Sources say the committee on external affairs is likely to be headed by former external affairs minister Dr Shashi Tharoor of the Congress. The party is also likely to make former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi the chairman of the committee for agriculture, animal husbandry, and food processing. The sources also say that the chairmanship of the committee for rural development and panchayati raj will also go to the Congress. Given the numbers in the Rajya Sabha, the party will also get the chairmanship of the committee on education, likely to be headed by Digvijaya Singh, say sources.

According to the sources, another opposition party, the DMK, will get the chairmanship of the committee for industries in the Rajya Sabha and the committee for consumer affairs, food, and public distribution in the Lok Sabha.

It seems, say sources, that the NDA government has had an understanding with the Trinamool Congress, which has been at loggerheads with it in West Bengal. In fact, in the last term of the Lok Sabha, the ruling TMC in Bengal was not given the chairmanship of any committee which was said to be a reciprocal move as the BJP was not given any committees in the state while being the principal opposition party there. However, sources say this time the TMC is likely to be given the chairmanship of the standing committee on chemicals and fertilisers in the Lok Sabha and the one on commerce in the Rajya Sabha.

The Samajwadi Party, which has a significant presence in the Lok Sabha, had already indicated to the government that it would like to head a committee in the Rajya Sabha where senior member of Parliament Ram Gopal Yadav would be accommodated. Sources say Yadav would return to the committee for health and family welfare, which he also headed previously.

Apart from this, the BJP-led NDA will also give representation to key allies, say sources. According to them, the TDP will be given the chairmanship of the committee on housing and urban affairs, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will head the committee on energy, while the JD(U) will lead the committee on transport, tourism and culture.

Once again, crucial committees like finance, home, and defence will stay with the BJP, say sources. According to them, senior member of Parliament Bhartruhari Mahtab is likely to chair the finance committee.

These announcements are likely to be made official by the end of this month, as was indicated recently by parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju.

According to sources, the division of these committees was arrived at after multiple levels of discussion between the government and the opposition. On August 16, Parliament announced the formation of five important panels, including finance committees like the public accounts committee (PAC), which is currently being chaired by Congress leader KC Venugopal.