NEW DELHI: As the Capital chokes under the haze of polluted air, a Parliamentary panel’s decision to drop the issue without citing any reason from the meeting agenda for Nov 17 has evoked a sharp reaction from Congress’ Rajya MP Ajay Maken who is a member of the standing committee on home affairs.Highlighting that “Delhi’s air-pollution crisis must be treated as a public-health emergency” Maken has written to the panel’s chairperson Radha Mohan Das Agrawal seeking restoration of the hearing on the issue on the same date, or an alternate date at the earliest with an explanation for the change.In the letter dated Nov 7, Maken has registered his “objection” to the omission of the air-pollution hearing from the revised agenda for Nov 17.“My concern is specifically the removal of the scheduled Nov 17 hearing at a time when these health risks demand timely scrutiny. Its omission requires an explanation and a definite date for examination,” Maken has further stated.“Given the urgency of the health risks, I request that this change be reconsidered and the hearing restored to that date,” Maken states.Maken recalls that he had requested examination of air pollution in his letter of Nov 2 and that the committee has included the subject in its annual programme list for 2026-27. He further cites that the original public notice of Nov 5 scheduled the hearing for Nov 17 at 2 pm.The original agenda circulated among members 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.”
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However the revised public notice dated 6 November omits the hearing on pollution. “It gives no reason for this change,” he adds.“Protection of vulnerable people, effective enforcement and coordination among agencies require urgent attention. A prompt hearing would allow the Committee to examine what the responsible agencies are doing, whether implementation is falling short and what immediate corrective action is needed,” he said.Maken has highlighted that as things stand the official meeting schedule read at 12:56 IST on Nov 10, lists sittings on Nov 16-17 with no air pollution item on either day, and no new date has been notified.
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