Haryana speaker cracks whip as depts resist giving info to MLAS

IT IS MANDATORY FOR THE CONCERNED DEPARTMENT TO FURNISH A REPLY OF A QUERY TO THE MLA WITHIN 21 DAYS

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Vidhan Sabha secretariat has decided to launch proceedings against six departments of the state government, including the office of the chief secretary, for violating the protocol norms and not providing answers to the queries MLAS had asked, it is learnt.

The departments in the dock are agriculture and farmers welfare, development and panchayats, office of the chief secretary, home, urban local bodies and health.

Sources say assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta has referred the matter to the eight-member ‘committee on violation of protocol norms and contemptuous behaviour of government officers with members of Haryana vidhan sabha’ headed by BJP MLA Aseem Goel.

Other MLAS, who are members of this panel are Bharat

Bhushan Batra (Congress), Parmod Kumar Vij (BJP), Mohan Lal Badoli (BJP), Jogi Ram Sihag (JJP), Narender Gupta (BJP), Nayan Pal Rawat (Independent), and Renu Bala (Congress).

At the centre of this contentious matter is the amendment in rules of the assembly as per which each MLA can now ask three questions every month from any department of the state government when the assembly is not in session.

As per the Rule 45-A of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Haryana Legislative

Assembly, it is mandatory for the concerned department to furnish a reply of a query to the MLA within 21 days.

According to a file noting put up before the Speaker, the replies of “some queries” were being awaited from the government despite giving “multiple reminders”.

Sources say in view of the departments in question not responding to the reminders of the vidhan sabha, the speaker finally referred the matter to the committee set up to deal with issues like violation of protocol norms and contemptuous behaviour of government officers with the MLAS for further necessary action.

When contacted, speaker Gian Chand Gupta refused to comment. Ambala city MLA Aseem Goel, chairman of the committee on violation of protocol norms, said that he was unaware about the matter in question as he was out of station.

“We will look into this matter and the gravity of the violation of the protocol norms...necessary action will be taken as per the norms,” said Goel, who represents Ambala city assembly segment.

As per assembly records, the Congress MLAS Jagbir Singh Malik (Gohana segment), Varun Chaudhry (Mullana), Neeraj Sharma (Faridabad NIT), the INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala (Ellenabad) and the BJP’S Ateli segment MLA Sita Ram Yadav had sent queries on Septemmber 14.

Sources say after the departments did not furnish the answers, the vidhan sabha sent reminders on October 11 and November 9. “The speaker has sent the matter to the committee on the grounds that this is a direct violation of the privilege of the House. By not furnishing the answers of the questions despite reminders the departments have committed contempt of the House...” said an official privy to the issue.