New Delhi: Concerned over the leaking of confidential proceedings of the Parliamentary Standing Committees, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday asked all chairpersons of the Parliamentary panels to ensure that MPs do not divulge details of meetings till a report is placed before Parliament.
However, Naidu also warned the members that sharing any part of the report or any conclusions arrived at by the Committee, before the report has been presented to the house would be equivalent to breach of privilege of the House. The proceedings of the committees are confidential and it is not permissible for an MP or anyone to communicate it to the media before the report is placed before Parliament, he further said in the letter.
In the letter to chairpersons of eight Standing Committees under the Upper House, Naidu said Parliamentary Committees have been entrusted with the major responsibility of functioning on behalf of Parliament.
"These committees undertake detailed scrutiny of legislative proposals of the government of the day, which has not been found feasible for Parliament to do in the transaction of its day-to-day business for various reasons. The Committees also study in detail various subjects chosen by them in a non-partisan manner," he said.
Naidu further said, "Several recommendations of these committees have been accepted by the government, which would not have been ordinarily possible in the regular course of the legislative process in both the Houses of the Parliament."
"However, for some time now, it has been observed that the media has been found quoting, in their reportage, the proceedings of the committees related to the subject matters or the legislative Bills under their consideration and examination," he said. "I urge upon you to impress upon the MPs belonging to your committee and participating in the proceedings to strictly adhere to the existing provisions/ direction relating to confidentiality and refrain from premature divulgence of any information to the media, till the reports are presented to the House," he told the panel chairpersons through the letter.