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Speaker’s role is
just like From B L Kak Dawood’s surrender NEW DELHI, Dec 20: Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim....more
Malnutrition-related NEW DELHI, Dec 20: The Government today....more 2 more criminals in net NEW DELHI, Dec 20: Within two months of commencing.....more |
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Unauthorised const in posh colonies NEW DELHI, Dec 20: The Central Bureau of Investigation would conduct inquiry, wherever necessary, into unauthorised constructions in posh ....more India should acquire NEW DELHI, Dec 20: Congress member Suresh Kalmadi today made a forceful plea in the Rajya Sabha that the country should acquire an ....more Freedom of Information NEW DELHI, Dec 20: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today said that drafting of the Freedom of Information Bill was in the final ...more BJP flays Cong for NEW DELHI, Dec 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party today criticised Congress for politicising the Women’s Bill and ....more |
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Speaker’s role is just like an umpire: Balayogi From B L Kak NEW DELHI Dec 20: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr GMC Balayogi, has arranged orientation course at the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies for the first-timers. He has expressed himself against incidents like snatching of papers from the Speaker or from a Minister, or for that matter from any member of the House, terming them "unfortunate". Mr Balayogi has stated in an interview that while one full session was devoted to parliamentary etiquette, he was also drawing attention to the resolution adopted unanimously during the Special Session last year which laid specific guidelines on the conduct of members in the House. Commenting on how the Government was prevented in the last Lok Sabha from introducing a Bill regarding the women’s reservation in the House and State Assemblies, Mr Balayogi said: "It deserves to be denounced as it not only denigrates the dignity of Parliament but also is a challenge to the authority of the chair. Such instances disturb me. If necessary I may use the powers at the disposal of the chair to maintain the dignity and decorum inside the House". When asked as to what did he propose to do in this direction, the Lok Sabha Speaker stated: "The Lok Sabha is composed of 545 members. The credibility of the House depends upon their performance and sincerity. The role of the Speaker is just like an umpire. Time of the House should not be wasted by way of obstruction of precedents or adjournment of the House". What are the issues that bother him when he is in the chair ? Mr Balayogi’s reply: "Lack of time management. This is totally lacking here. Compare our House to others in Turkey, Russia or the US. There, any member who has to speak is given a specific period in which to present his or her case and once the time is up, they have no option but to make way for others – nothing goes on record after that. We need to change our system here so that everyone gets a hearing and issues are not allowed to extend infinitely". Making a ruling or an observation can have a great impact on the proceedings. What is the process involved in arriving these ? Mr Balayogi said: "What is required is lot of care and study. Rulings or observations arise out of notices given by members which gives the Speaker adequate time to study the issue. Once a notice is received, its contents are studied in relation to the rules that govern the proceedings of the House. The Lok Sabha Secretariat then runs through earlier cases seeking precedents if similar issues were raised and based on these two factors, a decision is arrived". Mr Balayogi’s observation on the privilege motion against Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had menttioned that policy statements if made outside the House did not constitute a breach of privilege. What does this mean for future conduct of the House? His reply: "The observation was based on earlier precedents. The crux of the matter is while such actions (making policy statements outside the House when it is in session) have not been viewed as breach of privilege, it is considered improper to do so". Is the members’ perception of his political background and inadequate parliamentary experience affecting his conduct of the House ? Answering this question, Mr Balayogi asserted: "I have an excellent political background starting from the level as chairman of East Godavari Zilla Parishad up to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha at a young age. But, my experience is not inadequate. What is the quantum of adequacy in any case ? I had a full term in the 10th Lok Sabha. Then I was an MLA and Minister for Higher Education in Andhra Pradesh before I became the Speaker. Is all this not experience in parliamentary politics ? If anything is affecting the conduct of the House, it is the changing nature of politics and the complex composition of the House. Even a highly seasoned politician would have found it a difficult task". When asked if as Speaker he should be more forceful, Mr Balayogi stated: "I feel that a Speaker should not think along these lines. It is the duty of the Speaker to ensure smooth transition of business before the House. All the powers vested in him are intended to enable him to ensure this. He should ensure that all sections of the House are given opportunities to express their views on a matter under discussion and that rights and privileges of members are protected". Dawood’s surrender offer rejected NEW DELHI, Dec 20: Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who has been declared as a proclaimed offender by a designated TADA Court, had conveyed to the authorities his willingness to surrender on certain conditions but the Government rejected the proposal, Lok Sabha was informed today. Replying to a deferred question in the House, the Government said concerted efforts were being made for the arrest of Ibrahim ever since the bomb blasts took place in Mumbai in 1993. It said the extradition treaty between India and UAE would come into force after the exchange of instruments of ratification between the two countries. (PTI) |
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Malnutrition-related blindness has decreased: Govt NEW DELHI, Dec 20: The Government today clarified that blindness due to malnutrition is not on the rise but as per national surveys has decreased from two per cent in 1971-74 to 0.39 per cent in 1986-89. There are over 12 million visually disabled persons in India and the Government is currently running ten projects for the rehabilitation of disabled persons including the visually disabled, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Maneka Gandhi informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. The National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Bill, 1999 was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 15 and was now required to be passed in the Upper House, she said in another reply. To a question whether the private sector is under no obligation legally to provide employment to the disabled, the Minister said according to the persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 only the appropriate Governments are required to make reservation of jobs in Government establishments. (UNI) |
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Unauthorised const in posh
colonies NEW DELHI, Dec 20: The Central Bureau of Investigation would conduct inquiry, wherever necessary, into unauthorised constructions in posh residential colonies including DDA flats in South Delhi. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have found unauthorised constructions in posh localities in South Delhi, Urban Development Minister Jagmohan told the Rajya Sabha today. Slum dwellers: The Delhi Government has adopted a three-pronged strategy to deal with JJ dwellers who number around three million in the city. This envisages relocation of JJ dwellers residing since prior to Janury 31, 1990 if the land was required for a public purpose project in-situ upgradation of the JJ clusters where the land owning does not need it in the foreseeable future provision of civic amenities in JJ clusters not falling under these categories. Demolition drive: DDA has removed unauthorised construction in 26 of its built-up flats from January to November this year and in addition removed 4208 unauthorised structures from Government land. Cyber cafes: MTNL has appointed a nodal officer to coordinate with Delhi Finance Corporation to encourage PCO operators to launch cyber cafes in the city and the Delhi Government will select the cyber operators out of the existing PCO operators, Minister of State for Communication Tapan Sikdar informed the Lok Sabha. MTNL has got the approval of the shareholders for amendment to its articles of association to form a subsidiary company in India and abroad, Mr Sikdar said in reply to another question. However, specific approval to the name of the subsidiary company called "Millennium Telecom Ltd" has not been sought from the shareholders. The proposed company will plan, establish, develop, market,provide and maintain all types of value-added services in the field of telecommunications. Heroin: On November 29, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) unearthed a heroin manufacturing unit in the capital by seizing 32.5 kg of the banned substance and 70 litres of acetic anhydride, an essential precursor chemical, and certain equipment, Minister of State for Home Vidyasagar Rao said. (UNI) |
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BJP flays Cong for politicising Women’s Bill NEW DELHI, Dec 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party today criticised Congress for politicising the Women’s Bill and staging a walk out in the Lok Sabha despite the Government’s assurance that it would bring in the Bill within 48 hours. The Congress just want to make the headlines by politicising the issue, BJP spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu told newspersons here. He said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan had told them that they should wait for another 48 hours. The Government is committed to introducing the Bill in this session. But the Congress did not listen to him and walked out from the house, Mr Naidu said. He said the Government had already stated its position that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was discussing the issue with leaders of various political parties to reach a broad consences on the Bill, which had falled at the introduction stage itself twice on early occasions. The Government cannot ignore the views of any party. The process of deliberations with political parties is still on as the Government does not want the Bill to meet the same fate as on last two occasions, he said and added that instead of politicalising the issue the opposition, including the Congress, should help the Government to reach a broad consensus. (UNI) |
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2 more criminals in net because of TV programme NEW DELHI, Dec 20: Within two months of commencing telecast on Doordarshan, a popular series based on police records has succeeded in catching two criminals wanted in cases of murder. Nasrul alias Israel alias Raja was arrested in Jalpaiguri some time ago for a killing in the capital after a viewer identified him after seeing a photograph on Doordarshan on the programme ‘Fugitive, the most wanted’ produced and directed by Duhaib Ilyasi which is telecast both on DD one and DD two. Interestingly, the local police had refused to act merely on the basis of the viewer’s report, and he had been forced to send a fax to Delhi. Now, one Daulat Ram, who had murdered one Dr R K Dhingra of Faridabad, has surrendered to the police after his photograph was flashed on the programme. He told the police that the photograph had earlier been flashed on Zee TV in the programme ‘India, the most wanted’ but have ignored it. However, he felt more people would have seen his photograph this time because of the national broadcaster’s reach, and because he felt remorse. Apart from Dr Dhingra who had been killed in January last year when he recognised one of the persons trying to rob him of his Zen, Daulat Ram admitted to killing the father-in-law of his sister who had alleged that she had been tortured by her husband at the instance of his father. They had also forcibly occupied a plot of land on the outskirts of the capital, and later went to jail for robbery. In his late twenties, Daulat Ram is a former bus conductor. Meanwhile, the programme has also carried a report about the still unresolved murder of a 21-year old girl in Mukherjee Nagar in North Delhi in November last year. After the police had refused to take any action in the matter allegedly because the father of the deceased had an ongoing property dispute in which the local police was involved, the case was sent to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Sonia’s parents have alleged that she was killed by a young man who had been friendly with her but was jealous of her friendship with another young man. It is further alleged that a girl friendly with Sonia also knew about the killing. But while the girl refused to answer any questions when the TV team attempted to interview her, the young man refused to come on camera. (UNI) |
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