Delhi Assembly adopts panel’s report on services questions

The Committee recommended that in such cases the administrative Secretary/Head of Department concerned shall be personally held liable and responsible and proceeded against as the House deems fit because it amounts to breach of privilege and contempt of House.

The Delhi Assembly on Tuesday adopted the first report of the Committee of Privileges, which recommends that HoDs of the Delhi government departments be held responsible and proceeded against if answers to House queries are not given. In its report tabled in the assembly on Monday, the committee underlined that departments were not even giving answers to House questions which were available under RTI (Right to Information).

Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, chairman of the Committee of Privileges, observed that all information available under RTI must be given to the House. (ANI Photo)

Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, chairman of the Committee of Privileges, observed that all information available under RTI must be given to the House. The report said that all instances wherein information sought by a minister for a reply in the House is denied constitute a serious breach of privilege and contempt of House.

The Committee recommended that in such cases the administrative Secretary/Head of Department concerned shall be personally held liable and responsible and proceeded against as the House deems fit because it amounts to breach of privilege and contempt of House.

Saurabh Bharadwaj, a member of the committee, moved a motion stating that the House agreed with the first report of Committee Privileges presented to the House on January 3, 2022. The motion was put to vote and adopted by voice-vote.

“The House has unanimously decided to refer matters related to unsatisfactory answers to questions asked by the members to the Privileges Committee. Many questions were not answered during Question Hour in the Assembly on Tuesday,” Bharadwaj stated.

According to the Constitution, three key subjects -- public order, police and land -- are administered by the lieutenant governor (L-G).

The committee also said: “The Committee further recommends that Government of NCT of Delhi should take necessary action in coordination with the Central government to introduce an amendment in the Parliament in order to legislate or make laws on subject matter related to Public Order, Police, Land of the State list under Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.”

The committee, in its report, pointed out that the members of the House raised questions on subject matters related to public order, police and land, and replies to questions on these subject matters were being furnished since the inception of the Assembly in 1993.

“However, as a covert manner in order to curtail the powers of the Delhi assembly and privileges of the Assembly, replies to subject matters noted above are not being provided to the Assembly since 2018 in view of the letter (from L-G),” the committee stated in its report.