Not answering their phone calls, not ensuring adequate seating arrangement on the dias during government functions in their constituencies, delay in sending invitation cards or not printing names of the MLAs on the invitation cards and many other such acts by government servants in Haryana may amount to a “discourteous and contemptuous behaviour” towards elected representatives. In order to curb such “contemptuous behaviour” being faced by the MLAs from officials of the state government, Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta has now taken a tough stance. All those officers who do not pay heed to the communications made by the MLAs shall now be taken to task, for which the Speaker has constituted a special protocol committee comprising six MLAs. The committee is headed by BJP's own MLA from Ambala city Aseem Goel while Rohtak's MLA BB Batra, Panipat MLA Pramod Vij, Rai MLA Mohan Lal Badoli, Barwala MLA Jogiram Sihag, Faridabad MLA Narendra Gupta, Prithla MLA Nayan Pal Rawat and Sadhaura MLA Renu Bala shall be its members. “The committee has been constituted on the pattern of Lok Sabha. Those officers who turn a blind eye towards the references/requests/communications made by the MLAs shall not be able to do so any more. They will have to pay due regard to the MLAs, or else they would be answerable to this committee and if found delinquent would also have to face stern action. This special committee, under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Vidhan Sabha, shall find out protocol rules violations and would enquire into the alleged contemptuous behaviour suffered by any MLA at the hands of any government officer and then make a recommendation on the basis of which action shall be taken,” the Speaker said. There is already a privileges committee existing in the Vidhan Sabha. For the last few years, several MLAs have complained to the Vidhan Sabha Speaker that although they were humiliated by the officers but those matters/ incidents never came up before the privileges committee. Due to this, the officers kept repeating such ill-treatment. That is the reason, such a special committee was required to be constituted. This committee would also take note of protocol related rules and regulations being revised both by state as well as central government, from time to time. According to the notification issued by the Vidhan Sabha secretariat, it was also clarified that officers would not be able to let any mode of communication made by the MLA “unanswered”, be it a phone call, message or a letter or an email. The officers would be required to immediately respond to such communications. Partial or unsatisfactory replies shall also be considered as protocol violation. The notification adds that if the MLAs are not invited in government functions in their respective constituencies, it would also amount to protocol-violation. Their names would also be required to be printed on the invitation cards. In case the invitation reaches late to the MLA, it would also amount to protocol violation and officers concerned would be held liable. The officers would also ensure that a proper seating arrangement for the MLA is done at such venues. The officers would also be required to take immediate action on any phone call made by the MLA regarding the public-welfare issues of his/her constituency. The complaints made to this special committee would be taken at par with the complaints coming to the privileges committee of the Vidhan Sabha. In case any MLA faces humiliation by any officer, the MLA would be required to submit a written complaint alleging protocol violation to the Secretary, Vidhan Sabha. If prima-facie it appears there was a protocol-violation, the complaint would be referred for further probe and action to this special committee. The Speaker need not bring the matter before the Vidhan Sabha. Meanwhile, calling it a good step in democracy taken by the Speaker, Congress MLA BB Batra who is also one of the members of the committee told The Indian Express that it is the first time Haryana has got this kind of a committee. Not only the opposition, but even ruling party MLAs face this kind of discourteous and contemptuous behaviour by government servants. For instance, a few days ago when chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had come to Rohtak for Kabir jayanti event, there was no seat kept for Rohtak's Member of Parliament Arvind Sharma. He left the dias. This is also covered under protocol violation. Similarly, many times, officers, Executive Engineers, Deputy Commissioners etc do not answer MLAs' phone calls. This would also amount to protocol violation Talking about the action that the committee can take, Batra explained, the committee, if convinced that a protocol violation did take place, can recommend notices or any further stern action against the delinquent officer to the Chief Secretary or even the MHA. This committee is same on the pattern of a committee that looks into discourteous and contemptuous behaviour of government servants towards Members of Parliament. From time to time, MHA and state chief ministers keep issuing protocol guidelines that officers have to keep in mind while dealing with elected representatives. This committee would be dealing with the violation of all such protocol norms A senior IAS officer, however, told The Indian Express that officers don't ignore any MLA, intentionally. At times, if a Deputy Commissioner is busy in an important meeting or a public-dealing event, the call may go unanswered, but every officer ensures that he returns the MLA's call and do the needful, as per the rules. Still, if any officer deliberately ignore the MLA, he/she would face action.
