Govt cancelling parliament's winter session, suggests convening budget session in Jan 2021

New Delhi: The customary winter session of Parliament will be cancelled this year, Government has said. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic the government deems it appropriate to convene the budget session in January next year. It was earlier reported that several of the opposition parties had aired the same view about parliament schedules.

In a letter to leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "Winter months are very crucial for managing the pandemic because of recent spurt in cases during this period, particularly in Delhi. At present, we are in the middle of December and a Covid vaccine is expected very soon." The minister said he had informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and "they have expressed their concerns about the ongoing pandemic and opined of doing away with winter session".

"Government is willing to have the next session of Parliament at the earliest; it would be appropriate to have the Budget Session in January, 2021 keeping in mind the unprecedented circumstances created by Covid-19 pandemic," Joshi wrote.

The minister referred to the monsoon session delayed due to the pandemic, and also appreciated the cooperation extended by all parties for a productive session held under extraordinary circumstances by making special logistical arrangements

The winter session of Parliament normally starts from last week of November or first week of December.

The Constitution broadly stipulates one major rule that there should not be a gap of more than six months between two sessions of Parliament.

However, it has been a convention to hold three sessions of Parliament -- budget, monsoon and winter -- in a year.

(From PTI feed with minor edits)