Saturday, 09 September 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Speaker summons chief secretary on violation of MLAs’ protocol
The monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha was adjourned sine die after debates concluded late on Friday night. Earlier, the speaker Ritu Khanduri said that her secretariat will write to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for giving lessons on protocol to the trainee officers. On a stern note, she also summoned the chief secretary SS Sandhu to her office on the issue of breach of privilege of the MLAs and failure of the State administration to implement directives of the Vidhan Sabha chair on the issue in the past. The speaker said that it is shameful that an officer didn’t observe protocol in interacting with a senior legislator like Pritam Singh.
Immediately after the question hour on Friday, six-time MLA from Chakrata, Pritam Singh raised a breach of privilege motion. Singh said that on August 25 this year he made repeated calls to the chief engineer of the PMGSY to seek an appointment. He said that the chief engineer didn’t pick up four phone calls and took the fifth call in which he asked him to meet him in the office on August 26. Singh said that on August 26, the officer evaded many of his phone calls and was not in the office.
The Chakrata MLA who presented the details of the calls claimed that a total of 28 phone calls were not answered by the officer. He claimed that there is an unseen hand which protects the officer. Singh said that an IAS officer was appointed as CEO of the PMGSY and he unearthed a massive irregularity in the department but instead of action on the chief engineer, the CEO was shifted out. He said that the officer has breached his privilege and an exemplary order should be passed by the Chair. The leader of opposition (LoP) in the Assembly Yashpal Arya said that the State administration has failed to act on breach of privileges notices in the past.
Giving an example of Uttar Pradesh, Arya said that an officer who was responsible for breach of privilege of a legislator was asked to stand in a witness box inside the house by the speaker. Interestingly some of the members belonging to the treasury bench supported Singh. Rajpur Road MLA Khajan Das said that strict action should be taken against the officer concerned.
In her order the Speaker expressed her grave disappointment at the episode and forwarded the notice of Pritam Singh to the privilege committee of the house. She also summoned the CS to her office during the lunch break and expressed her displeasure on the failure of the officers to observe the protocol of the legislators.
