Parliamentary Committee Drops Air Pollution Agenda Item Amid Objections

As Delhi grapples with worsening air pollution, a Parliamentary committee has decided to drop the issue of NCR air pollution from the agenda of its November 17 meeting, drawing strong objections from a Congress member, who has taken up the matter with the panel chairperson. The Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs had earlier decided to hear the views of the Ministry of Home Affairs and agencies concerned on the issue and hold a discussion. The panel circulated the agenda for the meeting, which included the air pollution issue, among its members on November 5, but dropped the topic from its revised agenda. Congress member Ajay Maken has raised strong objections to the omission of the air pollution issue and has written to the committee chairperson, Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. Agrawal, when contacted, said he was not aware of the letter by Ajay Maken. "I am ignorant of the letter," he told PTI when asked about Maken's letter to him. On why the pollution issue was dropped in the revised agenda, Agrawal said he does not discuss issues relating to the Committee meetings in public. The earlier agenda for the panel meeting stated, "To hear the views of Ministry of Home Affairs and concerned agencies on the subject 'Air pollution in Delhi-NCR: Enforcement of Regulatory measures, effective implementation of GRAP measures, protection of vulnerable sections and coordination among law enforcement and government agencies."