Fireworks were witnessed on Thursday at a Meeting of a Parliamentary Committee on land with the Opposition members slamming the Government over “absence” of its officers and terming it as an “insult” to the panel.
Sources say that it was NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, who began the attack on the Government after none of the four Secretaries, who were supposed to appear before it, could make it.
The Committee on July 6 had decided to summon secretaries of Concerned Ministries on July 16 to listen to their views of the amendments to the 2013 Act. The members had decided that if the Government was able to reply to their queries on July 16, the panel could take up clause-by-clause consideration of the bill from July 22.
The secretaries from legal Affairs, legislative Department, Rural Development and Commerce Ministries, and top officials from Railways were expected to appear before the panel. It was learnt that Amitabh Kanth, Secretary DIPP was abroad while other Secretary was attending some meeting.
“We had sought the response from various Government departments to the complaints and grievances made by various individuals and organisations, which appeared before the panel. But no official turned up.
“It seems this Government is shy of facing not only Parliament but even the Parliament panel. It looks officers have no clear brief. Hence they are not turning up,” an Opposition member in the panel said.
Soon after the meeting was over, Derek O’Brien a member Inthe panel from Trinamool Congress tweeted, “Mockery or meetingIJ last time Parliamentary committee on land Bill didn’t function because MPs turned up, officials did not. Repeated todayIJ” Sources said that some of the BJP members also expressed their unhappiness over officials not turning up.