New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Secretariat announced on Thursday that the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will conduct a study tour across five Indian cities. The committee will visit Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow from November 9 to November 14, as part of its examination of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
According to an official communication from Joint Secretary JM Baisakh, the study visit program is designed to assist committee members in their review of the proposed bill. "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 read.
The document also noted that members who wish to join the visit are required to complete and submit a specified proforma by November 1.
A set of guidelines from the Speaker of the House has been attached to the communication, with a key instruction addressing the issue of committee members bringing a companion on the tour. Members are generally not permitted to bring additional persons on official tours, although spouses may join "on medical grounds with the prior permission of the Chairperson of the Committee."
The guidelines further clarify, "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, all related expenses must be covered by the member, and accompanying persons are not allowed at official installations or during discussions.
In light of Air India's disinvestment, committee members have been advised to arrange their air travel independently, as the Lok Sabha Secretariat can no longer provide exchange orders for ticket purchases. "Members are informed that consequent upon disinvestment of Air India, credit facility for the purchase of air tickets against exchange orders issued by the Secretariat has been discontinued. I, therefore, request you kindly to make your own arrangements well in advance for the purchase of tickets on private airlines for all the journeys involved as per the Study Visit," the guidelines state.
The study visit is part of the legislative review process and reflects the Joint Committee's commitment to understanding the implications of the proposed amendments in the Waqf Bill, which relates to managing and regulating Waqf properties across India.
