In tune with the norms of democracy, the Trivendra Singh Rawat Government despite having a mammoth majority in the House agreed to accommodate the Opposition Congress’s demand for the constitution of high power committees to look into the larger ramifications of the two crucial bills related to transfer and lokayukta on the third day of the ongoing budget session on Tuesday.
Notably, the new Government has tabled the bills related to lokayukta Act and Transfer Act, passed during the previous BJP regime with Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri at its helm, albeit presenting them in fresh forms incorporating some new clauses.
On Tuesday, as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant presented the two bills, seeking approval of the House the leader of the opposition Indira Hridayesh, assisted by other Congress legislators, demanded constitution of two high power committees to look into the deeper aspects of them bearing on the interests of the people of the State.
Earlier, while tabling the two bills, Pant said that the passage of the bills would help check corruption. While dwelling on the bill related to transfer, he said that the bill becoming act would help the Government send teachers and doctors in the hills with the highlanders suffering from acute shortage of them in the Government-run schools and hospitals. As per the bill, the Government has sought to divide the State into two parts -sugam and durgam- accessible and inaccessible. An employee posted in the inaccessible areas for over ten years would be enabled to come down to the accessible areas as per the provision of the bill, the Minister said.
While intervening in the discussion, Hridayesh warned the Government against going ahead with the bill in a tearing hurry. She said that as the bill covers the Government employees posted across the state, things should be scrutinised deeply. She said that the bill should be referred to a high power committee with a deadline of one month fixed. The time would enable them to meet the representatives of the employees and to come out with a foolproof act with nothing in it that can make the Government to regret later.
Pant argued that the proposed bill was a flexible one with enough provisions for special cases and the interests of the employees. He cited the fact that a committee headed by the Chief Secretary is there to look into the interests of the employees. And its recommendations would be sent for the final approval from the Chief Minister.
However, unmoved by the Minister’s defence, the Congress MlAs- Govind Singh Kunjwal, Preetam Singh and Karan Mahara kept demanding the matter be referred to high power committee. Despite the Speaker clearing the bill, the leader of the Opposition refused to budge following which Pant agreed to refer the bill to a high power committee and requested the Speaker to nominate the members for the committee which would complete the study in one month.
The same scene unfolded regarding the lokayukta Act too with Hridayesh demanding constitution of a high power committee to look into the details of the ombudsman. Earlier, Pant said that the bill proposed the appointment of lokayukta which would comprise one chairman and four members. Besides, 50 percent of its members would be selected from the four categories- SC/ST/OBC/Women, he said, adding that the budget would be allocated from the contingency fund.
The Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers and Government servants would come under its purview, he declared.
Interestingly, though Hridayesh agreed to withdraw her demand for the formation of the high power committee with the bill dealing with the important issue of corruption the members of the treasury bench asked the Government to send the bill to high power committee with one month given for submission of the study. The Government agreed and empowered the Speaker to nominate the members who would run the committee.