Delhi assembly speaker announces formation of 11 new house committees

New Delhi: Delhi assembly speaker Vijender Gupta announced the constitution of 11 new house committees on Thursday, taking the total number of such panels to 29.

The panels constituted on Thursday included the committees on women and child welfare , welfare of minorities, and welfare of other backward classes, among others. Officials said these were aimed at strengthening the institutional framework for addressing the concerns of marginalised and underrepresented communities. While 11 committees were formed on Thursday, officials said six more are likely to be announced soon.

Gupta said both the political parties were given due representation on these panels to ensure the principles of participatory and inclusive democracy were upheld. Each committee, led by a chairperson, will have nine members.

While the committee on delegated legislation will be led by AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha, BJP legislator Pradyumn Singh Rajput will chair the committee on privileges.

The committee on welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes will be led by Kailash Gangwal. The panel on papers laid on the table will have former AAP minister Gopal Rai as its head. Poonam Sharma will chair the committee on women and child welfare; Aahir Deepak Chaudhary will chair the committee on welfare of students and youth; Anil Kumar Sharma will head the panel on environment; Shyam Sharma will lead the committee on ethics, and Tarvinder Singh Marwah will chair the committee on welfare of minorities. As per the communication from the assembly secretariat, Raj Karan Khatri will chair the committee on welfare of other backward classes, and Kuldeep Solanki will be the chairperson of the committee on issues related to unauthorised colonies.

Emphasising their significance, Gupta said the committees were essential for legislative oversight , enabling continuous scrutiny of govt functioning beyond the limited time of house sessions. "As legislative business grows in scale and complexity, committees ensure effective supervision of executive action, financial accountability, and alignment of govt schemes with approved objectives," he said.