NEW DELHI, DEC 5: The watchdog is threatening to work and the Members of Parliament will now have to be more careful - even about asking questions. They may face disqualification if they actively lobby for a corporate house or raise a question in Parliament to serve ``vested'' interests. This is among the recommendations of the Committee on Parliamentary Ethics which is set to table an Interim Report in the Rajya Sabha on December 8. The Committee recommends disqualification if the courts take cognizance of any criminal case filed against MPs.The Ethics Committee comprises leaders of almost all political parties and is headed by Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President, Krishna Kant.The Committee - constituted in April 1997 - has finally laid down a model code of conduct for Rajya Sabha MPs. The code is subsequently expected to be adopted by the Lok Sabha.Sources say the Interim Report contains a recommendation for some ``severe'' measures to be taken against MPs found guilty of malpractices onvarious accounts. Action will be taken after a thorough in-house investigation and the ``punishment'' could include censure and disqualification. But the final decision to disqualify a member has to be taken by the House. And perhaps, there lies the catch - and the escape route.The Report, sources say, has made an attempt to ``decriminalise'' politics and ``instil'' moral values among MPs. A person will be disqualified from contesting elections if a court has taken cognizance of charges against him. Similarly, a sitting MP would be disqualified if charges are framed against him by the court.``Though we studied Ethics Committee reports of several countries, we formed our recommendations by keeping Indian political conditions in view,'' says a Committee member. This was why the Committee did not emulate France's example where even convicts are allowed to contest, because ``people should not be deprived of their right to elect''. The Committee took all decisions by consensus and left issues on whichmembers had different opinions, to be taken up in the final report due to be presented within next six months.One such issue on which the Committee failed to reach a consensus was to go for open ballot, instead of the present practice of secret ballot, for Rajya Sabha elections. The clause, if implemented, would check the practice of ``buying votes of MPs and MLAs'' to get entry to Rajya Sabha. For obvious reasons, there was no consensus on the issue.The Ethics Committee would also look into various other complaints against MPs, like renting out their houses, brokering a deal for some industrial house or even raising a question in the House which may help vested interests.The Committee has recommended action against both the bribe-giver - industrial houses - and bribe-taker, the MPs. While the bribe-giver will be charged under Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), the MPs would in addition may face disqualification.Some of the Committee members though, are still sceptical about effectiveness ofthe proposals mooted by them, since it won't be easy to prove charges against MPs of receiving bribes. ``At least, it will put some moral pressure on MPs,'' said a Committee member.``We found almost similar problems existing in all countries as in India, except of course for slight variations,'' a Committee member said. The Committee visited parliaments in Britain, Finland, France and Italy, met parliamentary affairs ministers, leaders of opposition and ethics committee members there.The Committee members include S B Chavan (Cong), Vijay Kumar Malhotra (BJP), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), S R Bommai (Janata Dal), Ram Gopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Ram Dev Bhandari (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and Jayant Malhoutra (Independent).
