Need laws to deny salary to MPs who disrupt Parliament: Kurien

With the last two sessions of Parliament witnessing near washout, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien has pitched for laws to deny salary and allowances to members who do not allow the Houses to function.
Expressing concern that Parliament is "failing" in discharging its duties because of such obstructions, Kurien also said Parliament and Assembly secretariats should inform people through media about names of the members who disrupt proceedings.
The Constitution needs to be amended to ensure Parliament sits for at least 120 days and state Assemblies 60 days in a year, Kurien said.
According to a statement by the Rajya Sabha secretariat, Kurien's hard-hitting remarks came almost a month after the winter session of Parliament was marred by frequent disruptions with the opposition cornering the government over a number of issues as a result of which the legislative agenda particularly of Rajya Sabha, could not be completed.

The Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman was addressing the two-day 78th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies, which concluded in Gandhinagar yesterday.
Kurien said although India is in the forefront of parliamentary democracy in the world, its Parliament is failing in discharging its duties.

"Because of continuous disruptions, the Parliament is often not functioning properly. As a result, the Parliament is unable to hold the government accountable and also to remind the government about its responsibilities," he said.
He said laws should be framed to "deny salary and allowances to those members who do not allow Parliament to function through disruptions".

There should be a solution to this problem, he said,
adding that legislative bodies in other democratic countries such as England, Canada and the US work more than 130 days a year on an average.
"In our Constitution, there is no stipulation that Parliament should sit for a given number of days every year. So, the Constitution needs to be amended suitably, to ensure at least 120 days of sittings for the Parliament and 60 days of sittings for the State Assemblies in a year," he said.
Kurien added that media often ignores good speeches made by members who speak after thorough preparation and homework, while giving more coverage to activities of those who indulge in indiscipline and disruptions.

Such journalism discourages those members who work diligently, he said.
"Media should give emphasis on positive reporting. He said the Speakers and Presiding Officers of Legislative bodies should play an important role in guiding the media about how to project the important House proceedings before the public in a positive way," he said.