Trying out the social network site Facebook to sharpen his Bill has earned Congress MLA V.T. Balram a reprimand from the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly G. Karthikeyan.
Mr. Balram, MLA from Thrithala in Palakkad district, had put the draft of a private member’s Bill, which he wanted to introduce in the Assembly, on the Facebook the other day. He had done it to elicit views and suggestions from the networked community for honing the draft. The intention of the Bill is to ensure for the nurses and paramedical staff in private hospitals fair salaries and service conditions.
“This is improper,” the Speaker told the House on Monday. “A private member’s Bill is usually sent to the Law Department first and then brought before the Business Advisory Committee for being allotted the time to be introduced in the House. Putting the Bill in the public domain before all these is a violation of the accepted procedures.”
Mr. Balram, who was not present in the House when the Speaker began to speak, rushed in and took his seat at this juncture. Mr. Karthikeyan continued: “This is one reason why we ask young members to sit in the House and be attentive…learn the procedures… Balram is a young member. He will learn. So the chair does not want to take any action on what he has done.”
