Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 18: Following recurrent complaints of State Legislative Assembly members against bureaucrats, Orissa Assembly Speaker has constituted a committee to look into violation of protocol and behavior of officers towards the members.
Speaker Niranjan Pujari has constituted a seven-member panel under the chairmanship of Parjanga MLA Nrusingha Charan Sahu.
Other members of the protocol panel are Debasis Samantaray (BJD), Bijay Mohanty (BJD), Mohan Randhari (BJD), Bibhutibhusan Harichandan (BJP), Prafulla Majhi (Cong) and Mayadhar Jena (BJD).
The committee was modelled upon a committee in Lok Sabha which will go into the attitude of bureaucrats in the state towards elected public representatives.
It will work as per the Privileges Committee of the House, said Sahu, adding, ‘‘hereafter, when an official disregards a legislator(s), the member can report to the committee and we will examine it. If the concerned officer’s highhandedness or arrogance is proved, the committee will recommend appropriate action against the official.”
Welcoming the Speaker’s decision, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said, as per the Rule-47, the officers must respect the people’s representatives and accord importance to the work of local legislators.
“I thank the Speaker for taking such decision finally,” Mishra pointed out.
Panel member Harichandan said, “The officers have become the masters and they have scant regard for elected representatives. All officials, from top to the bottom, have similar spirit and attitude. So, this committee may put checks on them. If such attitude is found, we will take it to the committee but what action the panel will taken against the babu and, who will maintain the protocol, the time will say.”
During the Budget session in February, several MLAs cutting across party-lines came down heavily on bureaucrats accusing them of highhandedness and arrogance towards elected people’s representatives in violation of rules. The issue was raised by Leader of Opposition during Zero Hour.
Mishra’s allegation was supported by both the BJP and ruling BJD MLAs.
Mishra alleged that Sundargarh superintendent of police had refused to meet Congress MLA Jogesh Singh despite his efforts.
Senior officers like district collectors and SPs do not pay any heed to the rules or public representatives, Mishra had alleged. He said although he was accorded the status of a cabinet minister, secretaries of various departments ignored him.
