Subsidiary warrant of precedence to guide officials in selecting chief guests

Officials are expected to invite public representatives as chief guests at various programmes

LUCKNOW: Officials posted in various districts are often in a quandary when it comes to selecting chief guests for government programmes in Uttar Pradesh. The state government wants more participation of public representatives in implementation of government schemes and officials are obviously expected to invite them as chief guests at various programmes.

Growing political rivalry among leaders with sitting and former ministers, MLAs and MLCs belonging to same or different political parties competing against each other and seeking prominence makes the task of officers complicated. The officers posted in districts are getting more and more confused as they take a call about whom to invite as chief guest.

Now, a Government Order (GO) dated May 11 has been issued clarifying the provisions of ‘subsidiary warrant of precedence’ that lists the dignitaries in order of precedence for the purpose of according protocol at various government programmes.

Principal secretary, parliamentary affairs department, JP Singh issued the GO in this regard, saying “I have been directed to say that provisions of the order provided in the subsidiary warrant of precedence should be followed in selection of chief guest for a government programme.”

The GO number 01/2022/440/90-S-ShP-Ka/2022-08 (S-Sh)/2019 points out that the issue that was brought to state government’s notice at a meeting of parliamentary monitoring committee and says, “A meeting of the parliamentary monitoring committee was held on November 11, 2021 to discuss issues concerning protocol accorded to hon’ble members of the state legislature. In one of the issues brought for consideration of the committee, it was found that an officer of a district invited a former minister as chief guest at a government programme and MLA of the area was not made chief guest.”

The GO reads further, “Officers in various districts face problems in deciding chief guest at the government programme as no government order has been issued in this regard. Hence following discussions at the meeting of monitoring committee, the state government has been expected to issue a comprehensive order. It may be mentioned that general administration section vide government order -796/3-2013-72(1)/91 dated July 17, 2013 has issued subsidiary warrant of precedence deciding the ‘koti kram’ (order/sequence for dignitaries).”

It clarifies, “The above GO does not make a mention about former ministers//hon’ble MLAs/MLCs. This makes clear that inviting former ministers/ former MLAs/MLCs was not appropriate in the presence of sitting MLAs and MLCs.”

Minister for parliamentary affairs Suresh Khanna or officials of parliamentary affairs department were not available for comments.

Former head of department, political science, Lucknow University, SK Dwivedi said the state government’s move to reassert provisions of warrant of precedence and issue a clarification was a welcome move.

He said public representatives should be involved in implementation of government schemes.

“But experts of any particular field, even if former minister or former MLA/MLC should not be ignored merely because of presence of sitting MLAs/MLCs,” said Dwivedi.

Many law makers of major opposition parties, however, point out that the district officials continue to avoid inviting MLAs/MLCs belonging to the opposition parties as chief guest at various government programmes.

“I was initially invited as a chief guest at two different government programmes organized at community health centres in my constituency. Later, for some unknown reasons, block pramukh and village pradhan of the ruling party were made chief guest there,” said former minister Samajwadi Party MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey. “Officers generally avoid inviting MLAs/MLCs of ruling party as chief guest,” said Congress MLC Deepak Singh.

“This GO is a welcome move. The public representatives have important role to play and the BJP government wants their participation in implementation of government schemes. Leaders of opposition parties too are given due protocol as per provisions at various government programmes in districts,” said Vijay Pathak, Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party vice president and MLC.

This GO is a welcome move. The public representatives have important role to play and the BJP government wants their participation in implementation of government schemes VIJAY PATHAK, UP BJP vice president