E-Paper
MLAs still cannot chair meeting of officers, can meet them in rest house
MLAs shall only be informed and not invited (as intimated earlier) for open darbar chaired by the deputy commissioner, says government. A notice of privilege in this regard was discarded by the Speaker recently. Congress MLAs said that government instructions were derogatory and an insult.
Reiterating that members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) cannot chair meeting of officers, the Haryana government on Monday accorded some concession by ordering that the lawmakers can now meet the officers in the public works department rest houses for seeking information about development projects. The earlier instructions said that MLAs will have to meet the officials at their offices.
However, since chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar in December 2023 gave a statement in the assembly that the MLAs will be able to call officers to the rest house to discuss the development issues, a modification was done on Monday.
In a clarificatory communication issued on January 15, the political and parliamentary affairs department also said that MLAs shall only be informed and not invited (as intimated earlier) for the open darbar chaired by the deputy commissioner.
August 2023 instructions irked MLAs
Legislators not being allowed to chair meeting of officers has caused considerable consternation among the former and led to submission of a notice by Congress MLAs during the winter assembly session to the speaker seeking to invoke a question involving breach of privilege. The notice was, however, turned down by the speaker.
The August 2023 instructions which irked the lawmakers said that an MLA may visit government officials or office for discussion on an issue concerning the public under reasonable intimation so that due courtesy and protocol is extended but cannot call a meeting of officers or chair open darbar held in districts.
MLAs do not have executive powers: CM
Khattar had told the assembly in December last year that MLAs do not have executive powers and cannot officially summon meeting of the officers. However, being elected representatives of the public, the MLAs can seek information about development projects from officers, he had said.
The chief minister was responding to a question raised by Congress MLA from Rohtak Bharat Bhushan Batra in relation to an August 25, 2023, communication issued by the chief secretary’s office.
The CM said that MLAs can visit government offices and obtain information about development projects in their area from officers. They will also be able to call officers to the rest house to discuss the development issues.
The Congress MLAs in a notice seeking to invoke a question involving breach of privilege had said that MLAs enjoyed an exalted position in Indian polity. Being public representatives, they have to deal with a number of issues concerning the public at large and undertake many public welfare works pertaining to their constituents and constituency to redress people’s grievances, the notice said. “They often have to interact with government officials. The August 25 circular is derogatory and an insult to the members of the Haryana legislative assembly. We raise the issue of privilege of MLAs and this matter may kindly be discussed. The government should withdraw the circular,” the notice said.
