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Delhi Assembly forms new panel to monitor bureaucrats’ behaviour, work

The ‘House Committee on violation of protocol norms and contemptuous behaviour by government officers with MLAs’ will be chaired by AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj and comprise 9 MLAs

Delhi Assembly forms new panel to monitor bureaucrats’ behaviour, work

Representational image (Photo: Twitter)

In order to monitor the behaviour of bureaucrats and make them accountable for their works, the Delhi Assembly has come up with a new panel while reconstituting its House committees for the year 2018-19.

The committee called “House Committee on violation of protocol norms and contemptuous behaviour by government officers with MLAs” will be chaired by AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj and will consist of nine MLAs.

However, no BJP legislator has been included into the panel. The new committee has been formed at a time when the AAP government and the state bureaucracy are at loggerheads since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by some Aam Aadmi Party MLAs at the Chief Minister’s residence on 19 February last.

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The Assembly has constituted 28 house committees besides three financial committees. Five ad hoc committees are also in place, which were constituted by the House to probe different matters, including those of alleged corruption.

Talking to The Statesman, Bharadwaj said the new committee has been formed on the lines of the Lok Sabha and will follow the guidelines set by the Union Department of Personnel and Training (Dopt).

Bharadwaj said the Assembly has taken the step after receiving many complaints from MLAs about unruly behavior of government officers towards them.

“This committee will have the power to summon any government officers if it is observed that they are violating the prescribed guidelines in their work. Or are found misbehaving with the peoples representatives,” Bharadwaj said, adding that if found guilty, a strict action will be taken against such officers.

The other members in the committee includes Sanjeev Jha, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi , Fateh Singh, Bhavna Gaur, Som Dutt, Vishesh Ravi, Pankaj Pushkar and Surender Singh.

Last year, leader of the opposition Vijender Gupta had demanded dismantling of house committees. Gupta had urged Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to dismantle “unconstitutional” house committees of the Delhi Assembly such as special inquiry committees and the department-related standing committees, arguing that these panels were taking over executive, judicial and investigative functioning of the government.

The committees of the Assembly perform important and specific tasks delegated to them by the Assembly and hence are also known as “mini House”. A house committee is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker. It works under the directions of the Speaker and reports to the House or the Speaker.

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