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MR. CHAIRMAN : Motion moved:
"That the Bill to provide for Facilities to Leaders and Chief Whips of Recognised Parties and Groups in Parliament, be taken into consideration."
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I plead that at least the national parties recognised by the Election Commission that are here may also be provided such minimum facilities. I must point out that already the BJP, the Congress Party and our brother party the CPI(M) have got some facilities in this Parliament House. Some of their Members are Chairmen of the various Standing Committees and Parliamentary Committees and they are provided with offices and such minimum staff as needed and telephones. Unfortunately, we are nine only in the CPI. Parties having less members than us have got Chairmanships and they also have facilities here in this office. I do not know what happened. I do not blame the hon. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs nor do I point it out as the Speaker's lapse.
Anyhow parties with less than nine Members have got all the other facilities, one Chairmanship of any of the Parliamentary Committees with these facilities. I know why we were denied these facilities in this Parliament House. In this Parliament, in office a minimum facility of telephone is quite necessary to work for a party and I do not think that if the hon. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs will either complain our performance to conduct the business of the House in an orderly manner. (Interruptions)
Please do not disturb. We never disturb. We are helping in the conduct of the business in a very orderly manner.
We are denied of facilities and an office here. We are denied the Chairmanship also. So, I plead that if you consider the nationally recognised political parties for these minimum facilities in the Parliament House, that would be fair. Otherwise, we support providing these three parties with these amenities. We have no complaints about that but keeping these facilities among the BJP, Congress and CPI (M) is not fair.
Now, I am compelled to state something here regarding the two decisions recently taken by the High Court in our State. We respect the court. We also stand for judicial independence. We also applaud the independence of judiciary. In those matters, we have no difference of opinion. The power of the courts is complementary. We do not stand for a confrontation with the court. But the courts must realise that it is for us to decide what matters we should discuss here and what priority we should give in taking such decisions.
We have to decide certain procedural matters. I would submit that if the Members are given certain privileges, it is not the look out of the courts whether it is right or wrong. Now there is a tendency that we will have to bring a statute to give railway concession to a particular Member. It is very unfortunate. Can we go and pass statutes after statutes for giving a pencil or giving a pen or giving a bag to a particular Member? Can we do that? It is not possible. So, in procedural matters, we are supreme and the courts have no business to direct us.
MR. CHAIRMAN : Please conclude.
SHRI VARKALA RADHAKRISHNAN (CHIRAYINKIL): I am concluding. The courts have no business to direct us that we should keep a register, we should publish it in a particular paper as to whom we have issued coupons. We cannot keep a register to satisfy the requirement of the courts. That is too much. We cannot agree to that proposal. So, I would submit that this tendency must be condemned at this stage. Otherwise, public interest litigations will come up and we will be pestered with decisions after decisions by each and every High Court in India. We cannot tolerate that. So, we should take a very definite stand that in matters of procedure, the House is supreme. We will not succumb to any decision of any court.
Before that, I would like to mention one thing. There are small parties. Those parties have a role to play in the present set up. There are small parties and their facility will have to be recognised. Even if they do not come under the registration rules, they are eligible to get certain privileges.
It is required for the proper functioning of a parliamentary democracy in India. We cannot ignore the contributions of smaller parties who are having five or six Members. We have to give some recognition to them. I would like to request the hon. Minister to make certain provisions for giving some benefits to the smaller parties as well.
Sir, with these words, I support the Bill.
Sir, finally I would like to suggest that the smaller parties in Parliament should be given reasonable facilities. I support the Bill.
Sir, but I would like to submit that passage of a Bill of this kind in a hurry, deciding about the perks to be provided to the Chief Whips or anybody, should not give an impression to the people outside that this House is united and is in a hurry to pass everything that relates to their salaries and allowances, when otherwise the parties are at the throat of each other, fighting each other and are coming down to the well of the House and all such things happening here. This kind of an impression should not go down to the people outside. All the parties should also express their opinion about not taking much time in the House and allow other business also to be conduced in the House.
Sir, I appreciate the Bill moved by the hon. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Khurana, but I feel that it could have been a better Bill than this. There is a history behind bringing in this legislation. Shri Khurana mentioned about the inclusion of the recommendations of the recently held Whips' Conference in the Bill but two to three Whips' Conferences discussed in detail the facilities that were to be accorded to the Whips for efficiently discharging their duties in Parliament.
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India is the largest democracy, the most vibrant democracy in the world. Democracy is also an expensive affair. For one hour, Parliament spends Rs.5 lakh. But even for this poor country, this is our most precious thing. Even if it is for the people, it will be difficult to afford, but we cannot do away with this luxury because that is the life and soul of democracy. Whips are to be given certain facilities. What Shri Madan Lal Khurana has provided in this Bill? He said that some additional telephones facility will be given. He has not mentioned how many. What is provided in this Bill is not according to the recommendation of the Whips Conference. I am not saying that this should be enhanced. I cannot make that suggestion.
There were many other things which were proposed in the Whips Conference. You are not providing a conveyance facility for the Whips. You are providing some additional posts of P.A. and peon. At least, what are the facilities that a Parliamentary Committee Chairman is getting? If you see that a Whip is to be provided a Cabinet rank or Minister of State rank, then everything will go automatically with that. We are bringing legislation in a piecemeal manner. I am not blaming the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. He might have had discussion with other party leaders also. Various issues have cropped up and we are discussing this Bill.
The legislation can be more complete also. Every now and then we cannot come with such legislation. Tomorrow you provide a car. Day after tomorrow, you provide STD facility. You have seen our parliamentary functioning. All the small parties are playing their own role in Parliament. Providing a room in this Parliament or asking to have a chair and facility to sit and write in Parliament, these kind of things need no mention. It is the responsibility of the Government or of this Parliament to see that all parties are given this facility. I have a feeling that this is incomplete. Even now it is time for Shri Madan Lal Khurana to make a suo motu amendment suggesting that whips can be provided Minister of State status. Automatically all other facilities will be given to them. Probably you are doing something in a very piecemeal manner.