There should be a dedicated hour during the Rajya Sabha proceedings to discuss the “import and implications” of the reports finalised by Parliamentary Standing Committees, a panel headed by former General Secretary and advisor P. P. K. Ramacharyulu has recommended.
The panel was instituted by Chairman Venkaiah Naidu in January this year. The extensive report, that studied the working of the Rajya Sabha secretariat and other procedural issues, has made 130 recommendations. The report was presented to Mr. Naidu on Tuesday.
According to a press note by the Rajya Sabha secretariat, Mr. Ramacharyulu committee suggested that the tenure of the Parliamentary committees should be increased from present one year to two years. Their field visits should also be increased from present two visits for a maximum of ten days in a year to three visits and fifteen days. “Given the efforts that go into preparation of reports by the DRSCs and their import and implications, a Committee Hour has been recommended for consideration to discuss select major reports in the Parliament for wider amplification of the content of the reports,” the committee has recommended. The panel said that these reports should be made more accessible to the stakeholders and general public.
This is the first ever comprehensive study of the Rajya Sabha secretariat. The study has suggested streamlining of the secretarial work, including disposing of 75% of the issues by lower and middle level in a ten-layer hierarchy that exists in the secretariat at present. The Rajya Sabha secretariat, that in 1952 had started out with 200 officers and staff, has 1,700 personnel at present.
