Day 11 – Q 1.Should there be a law to deduct the salary and compensation of legislators if the legislature remains dysfunctional due to frequent disruptions and protests? Should there be collective responsibility of the legislature? If yes, how can it be enforced? Suggest.
1. Should there be a law to deduct the salary and compensation of legislators if the legislature remains dysfunctional due to frequent disruptions and protests? Should there be collective responsibility of the legislature? If yes, how can it be enforced? Suggest.
यदि संसद/विधायिका लगातार बाधाओं और विरोधों के कारण असफल हो जाती है तो क्या ऐसी स्थिति में सांसदों/विधायकों के वेतन और मुआवजे को कम करने का कानून होना चाहिए? क्या संसद/विधायिका की सामूहिक जिम्मेदारी होनी चाहिए? यदि हां, तो इसे कैसे लागू किया जा सकता है? सुझाव दें।
Approach:
- Introduction- How frequent disruptions is a cause of concern?
- Merits and demerits of salary deductions.
- Collective responsibility- Should it be and how it should be enforced?
- Conclusion
Introduction:
Parliament is the highest debating forum on matters concerning the nation. C Rajgopalachari once described democracy as “Government by discussion’.
However, in recent past protests and disruptions by opposition on various issues is a cause of concern.
This disruptive tendency leads to:
- Wastage of public money.
- May also lead government to slip to cabinet dictatorship.
- Wastage of session hours leading to poor laws, without due deliberation.
- Loss of the Question Hour, which implies lower accountability of the government to Parliament.
One suggestion to tackle disruptions is to enforce a law to deduct salary of legislatures.
Salary deductions:
Merits:
- Will enforce discipline by making legislators feel ashamed of their act due to the penalty enforced.
- Reducing economic burden- Save public money which is being wasted in dysfunctional legislature.
The idea behind deducting salary is that the MPs are paid to serve the citizens of the nation and if they are not able to do so then they have no right to take their money.
Demerits:
- Most legislators do not depend on their salary.
- Taking a call on the quantum of penalty may involve judicial procedures.
- Penalising complete legislature for disruptions by a particular party is not right. Given whip system, those MPs who don’t want to get into protests are forced to.
Enforcing collective responsibility of the legislature:
The concept of collective responsibility in this regard it worthwhile, as parliament works as a whole.
- Powers to ethic committee- Unethical means used during debate/protest should be dealt with strictly.
- Sensitization of parliamentarians- Educating the MPs members on the issues to be covered in the session on prior basis like session by experts, complete analysis on the policy, importance of healthy debate etc.
- There can be a new rule for discussion if a certain percentage of the strength of the House (say 20%) asks for it, and a voting motion if a certain percentage of MPs (say 30%) gives a written notice.
- Guarantee some time for the Opposition. For instance, the British Parliament allocates 20 days a year when the agenda is decided by the opposition.
- Parliament should meet more frequently. In the 1950s, Parliament met for 120-140 days every year; now the it ranges between 60 and 70 days.
- Separate time for opposition: The parliament should have one day per week when the house would work according to the issues raised by the opposition.
- There should be a provision where a special session could be called in when there is a fair proportion of opposition members demanding it.
Conclusion:
Given the decline in productivity of Indian parliament, one of the most important pillar of democracy, the principle of government by the people is at risk. Ensuring that the forum remains a platform for healthy discussions and due deliberations, it is necessary that discipline is maintained. In this light enforcing collective responsibility will surely help.
Best answer: P29
