MPs want higher rank, red lights, politer IAS
While Parliament witnesses a logjam, with no work possible for over a week, the Parliamentary Privileges Committee on Wednesday recommended enhancing the status of members of Parliament. The committee recommended in its report tabled in the Lok Sabha Wednesday that red light beacons be allowed on MPs’ cars across India and called for moving MPs up on the government’s list of VIPs from number 21 to 17.
If MPs are placed at 17 in the Warrant of Precedence, they will be on par with Chief Justices of high courts and chairpersons of CAT, National Committee for Minorities, National Commission for Scheduled Castes and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, besides puisne judges of high courts.
At number 17, the MPs will be placed above Cabinet ministers of state governments who are at number 18.
“The committee recommends that the ministry of surface transport should issue a notification under the provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Act permitting the use of red light beacons atop the vehicles of MPs,” the report adds. The committee also wants the government to issue circulars that teach bureaucrats to give “courtesy” and “protocol” to MPs.
The committee recommended that “DoPT may also incorporate civil services training curriculum to include protocol and courteous behaviour to be displayed by officials towards public representatives and the need for its strict compliance”.
Committee members expressed displeasure over the placement of MPs at number 21, “much below their status and lower to persons not holding constitutional offices and even bureaucrats.
The committee has authorised its chairman, Mr P.C. Chacko to take up the matter with the Lok Sabha Speaker.
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