NEW DELHI: The newly elected Rajya Sabha MP, WR Kharlukhi, will not take oath on Wednesday along with other new MPs saying that he was preoccupied in the state.
Talking to The Shillong Times, Kharlukhi said on Monday that the newly elected MPs were given the option whether to take oath on July 22 or during the next session. “I opted for taking oath during the session since I am tied up with certain urgent work here in the state,” he said.
The new bunch of Rajya Sabha members from different parts of the country will be administered oath or affirmation on July 22. Upper House chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu has decided to proceed with the oath-taking ceremony despite COVID-19 pandemic keeping in view the resumption of meetings by the department related parliamentary standing committees of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
Meghalaya is facing a serious pandemic situation including in Garo Hills. The state is also hard pressed with intense rains with a red warning from IMD since the past few days.
61 members from 20 states who have been elected to the Rajya Sabha will be administered oath in the chairman’s chamber after following the requirement of social distancing. The MPs were informed of the decision by the secretary general of Rajya Sabha and those who fail to turn up will be administered oath or affirmation during the ensuing monsoon session.
An MP can participate in the meetings and other house proceedings only after being administered the oath of affirmation; even though they are eligible to draw salaries and other benefits. Some members also expressed interest to participate in such meetings, Naidu’s office said.
For the first time, the oath-taking ceremony will be carried out in the chamber of the House during inter-session. “Subscribing to oath or affirmation is usually done either during the session or in the chamber of the Chairman of Rajya Session, if the House is not in session,” the office sources said.
Among the MPs who will be administered the oath or affirmation are Dr K. Keshava Rao and Tiruchi Siva who chair parliamentary committees. They cannot convene the meetings of their respective committees unless they are administered the oath.
