TMC’s disciplinary panel to set code of conduct for its MLAs

Kolkata: In a bid to instill discipline among the members of its legislature party, Trinamool Congress has formed a disciplinary committee that would ensure the MLAs do not make any comments which harm the image of the party or resort to behaviour that is considered inappropriate inside the Assembly.

The committee will be chaired by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the minister of Parliamentary Affairs. Other members of the committee include Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Birbaha Hansda.

Such a committee, it was learnt, has been formed at the instructions of Chief Minister and Trinamool chairperson Mamata Banerjee. The committee is, however, not to be confused with the disciplinary committee of the party which is a separate body, said insiders.

It is learnt that the objective of the committee is to ensure that MLAs do not deviate from the party line inside the Assembly while taking a stance on matters that are taken up for discussion. Such a move by the party also comes in the wake of statements made by some MLAs, which supposedly has put the party in an uncomfortable position.

Recently, the MLA from Debra, Humayun Kabir demanded in the Assembly that the amount under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme be increased to Rs 1,000 for women belonging to the minority committee. This is said to have put the party in a difficult position, leading the senior leadership to warn the MLA from making such demands without consulting the party.

The committee will be looking into such matters and has been endowed with powers to take action against an MLA for violating the party discipline. Apart from such instances, it was learnt that the committee will also be looking into the attendance issue. Several MLAs remain absent in the Assembly and do not partake in the proceedings while some allegedly do not behave appropriately inside the House. It is also learned that some do not even have a clue as to what questions need to be submitted for the question hour. These are some of the issues that the committee would be rectifying.

Further, the party supremo is also learnt to have instructed Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay of ensuring that the formation of the Panchayat boards in all three tiers does not get affected or delayed due to internal schisms. Many MLAs are learnt to have also asked the party to excuse them from the Assembly session so they can be involved in the process of the board formation process.