In Haryana, MLAs barred from calling meeting of DC, SP; or chair open darbars

According to multiple sources, several MLAs, both from the ruling as well as Opposition parties, had complained on several occasions about “protocol violation” or “inadequate courtesies” extended to them by the bureaucrats.

However, the Chief Secretary has now issued guidelines specifying the ranks of officer who will receive ministers, ministers of state, or deputy ministers and on what occasions.

“…it is clarified that no MLA can call a meeting of officers or chair open darbar. However, an MLA may visit a particular government officer/ office for discussion on an issue concerning the public, under reasonable intimation, so that all due courtesies and protocol are extended,” read the instructions.

“Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and all heads of offices of the district concerned would receive the chief minister at the rest house whenever he pays his first visit to the district. On subsequent visits, only the DC and the SP concerned would receive him along with such heads of offices as are specially required with respect to the purpose of the visit. These instructions, inter-alia, provide that DC, SP and heads of offices will receive and call on the ministers/ ministers of states/ deputy ministers at the rest house on their first visit to the district headquarters. On subsequent visits…only the district heads/ sub divisional heads of the departments under the control of ministers/ MoS/ deputy ministers etc. would receive them. The officers of other departments shall be present only if specially asked for by the visiting minister concerned,” the instructions add.

It further states that in case of visit of a Cabinet minister, “the SDM or Deputy SP will not be required to accompany” them. Only the officers of the department under the control of the minister should accompany them as required, read the instructions.

The instructions also add that District Grievance Redressal Committees have been setup in every district to be chaired by a minister. “Besides, as per government instructions, the “open darbar” for redressal of public grievances will be held once in a month on a fixed day at each sub-divisional headquarter under the chairmanship of DC concerned. In these darbars, the MLA whose constituencies fall in the sub-division concerned will also be invited. As such, the open darbars for redressal of public grievances are chaired by the DC concerned,” the instructions mention.

Explaining the rationale behind such instructions, a senior officer said that “many a times, the MLAs call officers only to show their might” to their votebank. “Otherwise, the issue that they handle certainly do not require the officers’ presence. Also, it comes as additional burden for the officers who remain extremely occupied in discharge of their daily official duties. That is the reason, protocol has been laid down”.

Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta last year had constituted a protocol committee on the pattern of Lok Sabha.

“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” were considered as “discourteous and contemptuous behaviour” towards elected representatives.

Congress MLA from Rohtak BB Batra, who is a member of this protocol committee, said, “It is an extremely undemocratic step. The officers are part of the Executive while the elected representative is part of the Legislature. It is the MLA who is answerable to the people of his/her constituency, not the officer. What to talk of calling a DC or a SP for a meeting, they (officers) do not even give any satisfactory reply to letters written by the MLA. An MLA is allowed to ask three questions of public concern from the officers per month, but the officers just do not respond”.

When asked if such issues are not brought to the notice of protocol committee, Batra said, “Barely three-four complaints have so far come before the committee and those were pertaining to officers not replying to the MLAs’ questions. The matter was taken up by the Speaker, and the officers apologised”.

Among the ministers Anil Vij, who heads both the Home and the Health departments, holds “Janata Darbars” in his constituency Ambala cantonment on every second and fourth Saturday of a month. Thousands of people attend these darbars. There had been occasions, when Vij issued suspension orders of officers who were found negligent in performing their official duties.

Otherwise, the ministers visit several areas and hold public grievance meetings in which the officials of their concerned departments are called for “on the spot” redressal of people’s grievances.