Waqf amendment bill is 11th to be referred to joint parliamentary panel since 2015

Speaker Om Birla said he will talk to leaders of political parties and constitute the committee. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, was the last one to be referred to a joint panel.

New Delhi: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is the latest in a series of key draft legislations to be referred to a joint committee of Parliament since 2015.

Amid objections by various opposition parties on its provisions, the government on Thursday decided to refer the Bill to a joint panel.

Speaker Om Birla said he will talk to leaders of political parties and constitute the committee.

In case one House decides to refer a Bill to a joint committee, it informs the other House to nominate members for the panel.

The select or joint committee considers the Bill clause by clause just as the two Houses do. Amendments can be moved to various clauses by members of the committee.

The committee can also take evidence of associations, public bodies or experts who are interested in the Bill.

After the Bill has been considered, the committee submits its report to the House. Members who do not agree with the majority report can give a dissent to it. The bills referred to joint panels include the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015, the Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and the Bill to Amend The Citizenship Act, 1955.

Similar joint parliamentary panels were formed to scrutinise the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017, and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022.

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, was the last one to be referred to a joint panel.