Dattatreya likely to be chairperson of parl committee

THE REJIG COMES AFTER TWO INCUMBENT CHAIRPERSONS WERE MADE MINISTERS BY PM MODI RECENTLY

NEWDELHI: Former labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya and BJP’S Vishakhapatanam MP K Hari Babu are likely to be inducted as chairpersons of parliamentary standing committees during the latest reconstitution of these panels.

Dattatreya, who was dropped from the Union council of ministers in the reshuffle earlier this month, may be given a new post to reward his experience.

Every year, some members of the standing committees are reshuffled and at times, new chairpersons are appointed by the Lok Sabha Speaker or Rajya Sabha chairperson in consultation with respective political parties. The panels play an important role in the functioning of the Parliament as they review bills, policies, raging issues and government expenses before submitting their suggestions and recommendations to the House.

The upcoming rejig in the panel comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshuffled his Council of Ministers in which at least two incumbent chairpersons have been sworn in as ministers, leaving a vacancy in the House panels. According to the rule, no minister can be a member of the panel.

“Satyapal Singh headed the panel on office of profit while Virendra Kumar chaired panel on labour,” said a source. Apart from these two members, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was heading the joint committee on salaries and allowances of the members of parliament. As he has resigned after the presidential election, his post too, will see a new face.

“Adityanath’s replacement will come only after the session starts as this particular post is decided after election,” said a source in Lok Sabha secretariat.

Recently, Kirit Somaiya, who heads the committee to look into the improper conduct of a member, had been given the additional responsibility of chairing the labour panel. BJP’S Bhupinder Yadav is all set to replace Congress veteran Anand Sharma in the chairman’s position of the panel on law which is deliberating, among other things, the electoral reforms. Yadav, who is a former lawyer has been chairing three other committees of Parliament.