Imperative for officers to be present: Speaker
House not being taken seriously, say legislators
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 1: In a rare occasion, the Legislative Assembly in one voice today voiced concern over absence of senior officers in the Officers’ Gallery of the House and charged them with taking the Assembly and its members lightly prompting Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to direct that highest officers of the concerned Departments whose questions are taken up should be present.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
NC MLA and former Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmed Gurezi raised the issue of absence of senior officers in the Assembly gallery during Question Hour and soon almost all legislators from all political parties including ruling National Conference, Congress, Opposition BJP, PDP, People’s Conference and Independents were on their feet supporting the issue.
“The House is not being taken seriously by the officers. Look at the Officers’ Gallery. Earlier, the Chief Secretary and the Commissioner/Secretaries used to sit there. Why they are not coming now? The Chief Minister should take serious note of it,” Gurezi said as the legislators from both treasury and opposition benches supported the demand.
He said the bureaucrats are the Government servants and should come to the House. Only one Special Secretary and a Director are sitting in the gallery, he added.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather assured the protesting members that the House has taken note of their concerns, stressing that it is imperative for the officers concerned to be present whenever questions related to their departments are taken up.
“It is neither reasonable nor feasible for the entire Secretariat to be present here, given space constraints. However, the Chief Minister must ensure that the highest officers concerned are present when their questions are taken up, and that they take proper notes and address members’ concerns to their satisfaction,” Rather said.
Gurezi said he has been a member of the House for 22 years but has never seen it being ignored in this manner, pointing to empty chairs in the officers’ gallery.
He said this House is supreme, and all officials, irrespective of their position, must be accountable and should attend the House. Click here to watch video
BJP legislator Sham Lal Sharma said the absence of officers was not the correct practice. “I believe the Chief Minister will take cognizance of this. From your (Speaker’s) side as well, a formal notice should be issued to the Chief Secretary,” he said.
Sharma said the Administrative Secretary of any department with listed business must be present in the House, adding that proceedings should be deferred or dropped if the officer concerned is absent.
Another BJP MLA Pawan Gupta wanted to know why the Government officers are not coming to the House.
“Why are they absent”? he asked.
However, following intervention by the Speaker, the legislators calmed down and took their seats.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
