A large number of the Rajya Sabha members on Friday demanded that the House Chairman and Deputy Chairman should be empowered to take decisions on crucial issues like permitting members for foreign visits and allotting rooms to parliamentary parties instead of such issues being dealt by the lok Sabha Speaker.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal said, “It has become a precedent that the lok Sabha Speaker decides on issues of foreign visits of the Rajya Sabha members and even allotment of rooms to parliamentary parties.”
“Article 80 and 81 of the Constitution through which Rajya Sabha and lok Sabha were constituted bestow similar priorities, privileges and responsibilities to members of both the Houses but no decisions regarding Upper House members were taken by its Chairman and Deputy Chairman,” Agarwal said demanding such matters should be disposed of by Upper House Chairman and Deputy Chairman besides constitution of a
Committee for that.
Supporting him, leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “Parliamentary Affairs Minister is here and we need to have a committee to go into this for a final decision.” K C Tyagi of JD(U) too supported the demand for formation of a committee to take such decisions.
While Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the Chairman can discuss the matter with representatives of political parties and changes may suggested in the syste, Kurien said that he will bring the matter to the notice of Chairman who will take an appropriate decision in this regard.