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Monday, January 3, 2011

Why Not Impose Fine on Public Representatives for Stalling of Parliament?

by Col LK Anand Retd
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The winter session of the Parliament, just did not transact any business worth the name. The impasse was created by all the opposition parties, seeking appointment of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for probing the 2G Scam, which forced A Raja to resign from the UPA Government. 2G Scam obviously was a creation of the UPA Government itself. It is difficult to fathom the reasons, why the UPA Government, adopted such an adamant approach or behaviour, for not acceding to the opposition’s pleadings for appointment of a JPC.
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The only reason one can establish, is that the UPA Government which is already drenched in knee deep corruption everywhere you can see, must have been afraid that many more skeletons may tumble out of their cup boards, to expose some more cases or extension of corruption in high places, as also in their rank and file. With the exposures being made from day to day, one can certainly presume that UPA is more involved in amassing wealth for its members, than for ensuring proper governance of India.
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If nothing else, one thing is certain that there has been tremendous loss to the state exchequer in the form of Indian tax payers hard earned money, as a result of this impasse. Our shameless public representatives, had in the recent past, by their tantrums, compelled the Government to enhance their salaries and allowances manifolds. Unfortunately, irrespective of whether the houses of parliament functioned or not, they would remain unconcerned and would pocket all the salary and allowances amounting to crores of rupees. In the fitness of things, would it not be most appropriate, for them to forgo the entire salary and allowances, including the expenses incurred on themselves and their spouses’/relatives’, to and fro travel from their constituencies to Delhi and back.
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In addition, for every day the houses failed to transact any business, a fine totalling the overall loss incurred as a result of non-functioning of the houses of Parliament, be recovered from their future salaries. Let this provision of fining the Public Representatives in such cases, be suitably enacted in the parliament, so that they learn a lesson not to play around with the sanctity of this august body. Presuming that such a provision may not be within the jurisdiction of the Apex Court, it would be appropriate, that a disciplinary committee, be also suitably constituted to impose such penalties on the defaulters, in any such actions being repeated in future.
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By Col LK Anand Retd
elkayanand@rediffmail.com

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