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Show courtesy to MPs, MLAs or face the music, U.P. govt tells officials
The government has now given directives for strict action against such officials under the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Government Servants Discipline and Appeal Rules, 1999.
The Uttar Pradesh government has taken serious note of the rising number of complaints against government officials for not following the protocol with regard to members of parliament and legislature despite repeated reminders.
The government has now given directives for strict action against such officials under the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Government Servants Discipline and Appeal Rules, 1999. It has also asked for the regular monitoring of all such complaints on a fortnightly or monthly basis, and that reports in this regard be shared with the parliamentary affairs department.
The state government has sent multiple reminders to government officers and employees to show courtesy and follow the protocol. The reminders are dated November 11, 2021, May 11 and June 14 last year, and February 3 this year.
“Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and minister for parliamentary affairs Suresh Khanna have consistently asked officers to strictly comply with the norms whenever any issue in this regard is raised. I have reviewed the cases of violation regularly and several reminders in this regard have been issued. The state government obviously wants the officers and employees to follow the norms as given in the guidelines,” said speaker of the state legislative assembly Satish Mahana.
Mahana said he was not aware of the number of complaints of violation in the state. Senior officers of the state legislative also refused to comment.
Those aware of the development, however, said about 30 to 40 cases of violation of protocol were pending for consideration by the state legislative assembly’s committee on parliamentary affairs that the speaker presides over.
Principal Secretary-parliamentary affairs department JP Singh, in the latest order dated April 27, said the cases of violation of protocol were being consistently reported.
Referring to a meeting of the committee, held on April 10, that expressed displeasure over the consistent of violation of norms, he said, “Strict action will be taken against those not showing courtesy or not following the protocol and the government’s orders in this regard should be complied with in every circumstance.”
Singh has asked all the additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, secretaries and the DGP to direct the officers and employees working under them to follow the protocol norms for the MPs and the legislators. It may be mentioned that the state legislative assembly on March 3, 2023 awarded a day’s imprisonment to a retired IAS officer and five policemen for breach of privilege following a notice in this regard given by former BJP MLA Salil Vishnoi nearly two-decades ago.
