New Delhi [India], November 9 : The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Sunday released the provisional schedule for answering questions by Members of Parliament for the upcoming winter session of Parliament, which is set to begin on December 1.
The Secretariat has informed that the respective ministries and departments have been divided into five groups, with each group being allotted time to answer any questions raised by MPs during the question hour.
The Parliamentary Notice Office and other designated places started the process of receiving questions from MPs from November 8, and according to the group assigned, the order in which the questions will be asked is to be decided.
In an effort to push for a paperless parliament, the MPs, like every session, have been asked to submit all notices of Starred and Unstarred Questions for the Sixth Session of Eighteenth Lok Sabha through the Members' Portal.
According to the notice, Group A, comprising of departments such as Corporate Affairs; Culture; Education; Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Finance; Labour and Employment; Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Tourism; Youth Affairs and Sports have been assigned December 1, 8, and 15 for answering MPs questions.
The last date of submitting notices for questions for Group A has been assigned on November 13, November 20, and November 27.
Group B consists of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Commerce and Industry; Cooperation; Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Heavy Industries; Home Affairs; Panchayati Raj; Rural Development; Social Justice and Empowerment; Steel; Textiles, who have been given December 02, 09, and 16 for answering questions.
Group C, including Prime Minister; Atomic Energy; Coal; Communications; Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; Development of North Eastern Region; Earth Sciences; Electronics and Information Technology; Information and Broadcasting; Mines; Minority Affairs; New and Renewable Energy; Parliamentary Affairs; Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Planning; Railways; Science and Technology; Space; Statistics and Programme Implementation will answer questions pertaining to their departments on December 03, 10 and 17.
Group D and E have been assigned December 4, 11, and 18, and December 5, 12, and 19 respectively.
According to the notice, ballots for deciding on the priority of questions asked will be organised on specific days from November 13 till December 3, with each day marked for a particular sitting of parliament.
MPs get to ask questions from all the government departments and ministries on the floor of the parliament every session during the daily question hour. The questions are divided in starred and unstarred questions, and as a matter of right, they receive accurate information from the ministers.
Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju released the provisional list of the Parliament winter session. Parliament is set to function from December 1 to December 19, subject to exigencies of government business. Parliament is set to have 15 sittings across 19 days. Private Members Bills are set to be taken for consideration on December 5 and 19, and Private members' resolutions on December 12.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the Opposition parties will raise multiple issues pertaining to public interest in the parliament. Her said that the parties will raise the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, PM Modi's 'silence' on Donald Trump's statement, diplomatic relations with China, unemployment, lack of economic growth and more.
He has also criticised the government for keeping a "short" winter session, taking a jab that perhaps the government is "running away from Delhi's pollution.