Minister Dr.RK Ranjan Singh notes importance of Parliamentary Committees
New Delhi:Maintaining that the credibility of a democratic institution like Parliament largely rests on the impeccable integrity of its Members which is imperative for success of Parliamentary democracy, Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Education Dr RK Ranjan asserted that holding of an exalted position of Member of Parliament carries with it the onerous responsibility of measuring up to the people’s expectations and keeping people’s trust in the parliamentary polity.
Speaking at the orientation programme for the newly elected Members of Manipur Legislative Assembly held at Parliament Library Building in New Delhi on Tuesday, Dr RK Ranjan stated that in order to maintain the highest traditions in parliamentary life, Members of Parliament are expected to observe a certain standard of conduct both inside the House and outside.
He stated that conduct of Members should not be contrary to the rules or derogatory to the dignity of the House or in any way inconsistent with the standards which are entitled to expect of its members. As Members of Parliament, the highest temple of democracy, it is enjoined upon them to set an example in promoting transparency and probity in public life, he added.
The Union Minister stated that in a modern representative democracy such as ours, Parliament is the people’s institute par excellence and every Member of Parliament views it as his/her primary duty to present his/her constituents by giving expression to their difficulties and seeking removal and redressal thereof.
The work done by the Parliament at this juncture is not only in nature, but considerable in volume. The time at its disposal is limited. It cannot, therefore, give close consideration to all the legislative and other matters that come up before it. A systematic and good deal of its business is, therefore, transacted in Committees of the House, known as Parliamentary Committees. They monitor the functioning of the executive branch and provide the legislature with various policy inputs, paying a pivotal role in Indian democracy, he conveyed.
The visible part of Parliament’s work takes place on the floor of the House. This part of Parliament’s work is televised and closely watched. However, Parliament has another forum through which a considerable amount of its work gets done. These are known as Parliamentary Committees. These Committees are smaller units of MPs from both Houses, across political parties and they function throughout the year. These smaller groups of MPs study and deliberate on a range of subject matters, Bills, and budgets of all the ministries, Dr RK Ranjan explained.
Parliamentary Committees serve as a forum of deliberation and are the backbone of our parliamentary system. The key responsibility of the Parliament is to be a body of oversight over the executive. The executive proposes the formulation of several laws and policies that affect us in various ways. Parliament ensures these are discussed and scrutinised before approval. For this, there are various interventions available for a legislator (question hour, calling attention, etc), he continued.
He stated that Members from both Houses across party lines are represented in most of these committees and since ministers are part of the executive and the legislature is a separate arm to keep a check on the executive, ministers are not a part of any Standing Committees.
Another feature of the committee system is its engagement with relevant stakeholders and power to summon witnesses. The committees regularly seek feedback from citizens and experts on subjects it examines, he added.
The Committees also provide a forum for building consensus across political parties. The proceedings of the House during sessions are televised, and MPs are likely to stick to their party positions on most matters. The Committees have closed door meetings, which allow them to freely question and discuss issues and arrive at a consensus. After a Committee completes its study, its report is laid in Parliament. These recommendations are not binding, however, they hold a lot of weight, the Union Minister elaborated.
Strengthening the committee system can go a long way in improving the quality of laws drafted and minimising potential implementation challenges. The need of the hour is for greater and effective utilisation of Parliamentary Committees to strengthen Parliament as a deliberative body which can ensure effective oversight, Dr RK Ranjan noted.
