Five cities will be visited for a research trip by the Joint Parliament Committee on the Waqf bill

INN/New Delhi, @Infodeaofficial

The Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 will go to five Indian towns for a study trip, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said Thursday. From November 9 to November 14, the committee will travel to Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow to examine the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Joint Secretary JM Baisakh stated in an official communication that the purpose of the study visit program is to help committee members evaluate the proposed law.

“The Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 will undertake a Study Visit to Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow from 09.11.2024 to 14.11.2024 in connection with the examination of the ‘Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024,'” the letter stated. Additionally, the paper stated that members who want to participate in the visit must fill out and turn in a specific proforma by November 1.

The communication includes a set of rules from the Speaker of the House, one of which addresses the problem of committee members taking a companion on the tour. On official excursions, members are typically not allowed to invite other people, though spouses may accompany “on medical grounds with prior permission of the Chairperson of the Committee.”

The rules also state, “In exceptional cases, i.e., in case of extreme necessity where the member’s spouse is not able to accompany him/her on tour due to medical or other reasons, the member may take any other person on tour with the prior permission of the Chairperson of the Committee.” However, the member is responsible for paying for all associated costs, and guests are not permitted during formal installations or during debates.

Since the Lok Sabha Secretariat is no longer able to offer exchange orders for ticket purchases due to Air India’s disinvestment, committee members have been urged to make their own travel arrangements.

Members are notified that the credit facility for buying airline tickets using exchange orders issued by the Secretariat has been suspended as a result of Air India’s disinvestment. Accordingly, I respectfully ask that you make your own plans well in advance to buy tickets on private airlines for all of the trips required for the Study Visit,” the requirements read.

As a component of the legislative review process, the study visit demonstrates the Joint Committee’s dedication to comprehending the ramifications of the Waqf Bill’s proposed revisions, which pertain to the administration and control of Waqf holdings throughout India.