Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan has directed the Department of Parliamentary Affairs to ensure that all administrative departments submitting demands on grants provide complete and necessary documents to the Assembly Subject Committees, as demanded by the rules and proceedings of the House as well as the internal rules of the committees.
He also ruled that the departments should make available all documents sought by the subject committee at the Assembly Secretariat at least two days before the meeting of the committee for circulation to all members.
The Speaker gave the ruling following a point of order raised by M. Ummer as per Rule 303 that despite repeated requests, many departments, especially Health, had not been giving the previous years’ budget statements for the scrutiny of the subject committee. He pointed out seven demands, wherein the documents sought for scrutiny by the subject committee had not been provided.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs A. K. Balan, in his reply, said that it was indeed the laxity of the officials concerned in departments that the documents sought by the subject committee were not being provided.
The Minister said that a directive would be given to all departments in this regard that when demands on grants are placed, all documents sought by the subject committee as per the rules of the House be provided without fail.
The Speaker said that denying necessary documents to the subject committee for scrutiny was a serious offence as it was vital for the discussions in the House.
