The Hindu Business Line : <I>Unused powers of presiding officers </I>

No presiding officer of a legislature has been so frank and forthright as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, in persistently venting his frustration over what he himself once termed `rowdyism' by the MPs and his inability to control them.

He has sometimes even gone so far as openly giving expression to his desire to quit his job. No wonder, because the conduct of MPs in the two Houses, instead of becoming better, is steadily getting worse. Last August, the Lok Sabha witnessed scenes akin to what is now becoming common in many State Assemblies: MPs hurled the choicest invectives at one another in foul language, threw microphones and came very near to exchanging blows.

Frequent disorders in both Houses of Parliament not only rob the people of their respect for their elected representatives and their faith in democratic institutions.

In concrete terms, they rob the taxpayers of hundreds of crores of rupees, since each hour of disruption of the proceedings costs Rs 30 lakhs or more.

Every time MPs indulge in obstructing the work of the house by barracking, shouting abuses, trooping into the well and the like in total disregard of the appeals of Presiding Officers for maintaining decorum, it has nowadays become the practice for the Houses to be adjourned for a few hours or even for the entire day.

In other words, the Presiding Officers seem reluctant to use the plenitude of powers given to them by the two Houses themselves and incorporated in the Rules of Procedure for the conduct of proceedings.

Do's and don'ts

The Rules go into very minute detail as to how a member ought to behave while in the House. There are, in fact, 36 strict do's and don'ts to which he is required to adhere at any cost.

For instance, he has been explicitly forbidden to do any of the following: Reading any book, newspaper or letter except in connection with the business of the House; displaying badges of any kind; interrupting any member while speaking by disorderly expression or noises or in any other disorderly manner; shouting slogans; tearing off documents in protest; obstructing proceedings, disobeying the directions of the Presiding Officers; hissing or interrupting and making running commentaries when another member is speaking.

The Presiding Officers have the power to direct any member whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the House, and any member so ordered shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day's sitting. In the event of grave disorder occasioned by a member coming into the well of the House or abusing the Rules of the House persistently and wilfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans or otherwise, the member indulging in such misconduct, on being named by the Presiding Officers, shall stand automatically suspended for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less.

The Rules of Procedure have covered every conceivable misconduct and vested the Presiding Officers with more than adequate powers to discipline MPs. It is not clear, in this background, what purpose is meant to be served by the decision reportedly taken by the All-Party meeting called by Mr Somnath Chatterjee on May 14 to set up a permanent parliamentary committee to look into the recurring complaints of misuse of privileges and facilities by MPs and lay down rules of conduct and guidelines for MPs as well as members of standing committees.

All that is called for is for Presiding Officers to make it evident to the errant MPs their determination to use their hitherto unused powers whatever the consequences.

B. S. RAGHAVAN