Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has faulted the manner in which Secretariat officials introduced changes in the Standing Committee report on the civil nuclear liability Bill on the basis of “verbal instructions” from the committee's chairman, T. Subbarami Reddy, and ordered that in future such instructions be conveyed in writing.
The issue at stake: why was a crucial addition negating the liability of nuclear suppliers appended to the printed version of the Standing Committee report at the last minute. In their submission to the inquiry ordered by Mr. Ansari, Rajya Sabha officials said the change was made because they received a telephone call from Mr. Reddy on the morning of August 18 asking them to add the word “and” between Sections 17(a) and 17(b).
Asked by The Hindu for his account, Mr. Reddy confirmed that he had indeed instructed the official concerned to make the change. He said that although the Standing Committee, in its meeting on August 17, had not agreed to delete the word, deputy chairperson of the committee S.S. Ahluwalia, who was tasked by him with preparing the final version, wrongly instructed the secretariat to drop the “and”. There was also another typographical error on the same page which needed correction.
In a two-paragraph order issued on Friday following the submission of a report by the Rajya Sabha Secretary-General on the circumstances under which the change was made, Mr. Ansari said the clarification rendered by the joint secretary on this matter was not very satisfactory. “Even a telephonic intimation to the Secretary-General seeking advice would have avoided such a procedural lapse. It is expected that senior officials of such rank should exert better acumen and judgment on such occasions. I trust such lapses would not occur in future.”
But he also found fault with changes being made in the absence of written instructions. “In this context, it would be desirable that Chairpersons of Committees should invariably follow up their verbal instructions of such nature in writing to the staff so that there is no room for any misgivings as in the instant case. This would obviate any criticism on the functioning of the Secretariat.”
