CHAPTER-XIV

LEADERS/WHIPS OF OPPOSITION PARTIES/GROUPS

Meeting with Leaders of various political parties in Parliament

14.1 This Ministry makes necessary arrangements/Coordinates the meeting of various political parties in Parliament convened by Prime Minister, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Minister of Home Affairs. During the year under report the following meetings were held:

(1) On 22nd May, 1998, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Tourism convened a meeting with leaders of all political parties in Parliament for further discussion on electoral Reforms. The Home Minister presided over the meeting. Minister of State for Railways and Minister of State for Law, Justice and company Affairs were also present in the meeting.

(2) Minister of Parliamentary affairs and Tourism convened a meeting with leaders of all political parties in Parliament on 10th July, 1998 to discuss the Constitution (84th Amendment) Bill relating to Reservation of women in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies in States. The Prime Minister presided over the meeting. The Minister of Home, Defence, Steel & Mines, Urban Affairs & employment, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Law, Justice and Company Affairs and Tourism were also present in the meeting.

(3) Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Tourism convened a meeting with leaders of all political parties/groups in Parliament on 9th December, 1998 for consultation on the Women's Reservation Bill. The Prime Minister presided over the meeting. Minister of Home, Law, Justice and Company Affairs and Minister of State for Railways were also present in the meeting.

Meeting with Chief Whips/Whips of various political/groups in Parliament

14.3 The efficient and smooth transaction of Parliamentary Business depends to a very large extent upon the office of the Whips who are responsible for efficiently carrying on the organisation of the parties inside Parliament. The Office of whip thus plays a key role in a Parliamentary democracy.

14.4 The duty of maintaining discipline and decorum in the House devolves upon the Speaker, the Leader of the House and the Leader(s) of the Opposition and Whips of political parties. the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs as chief Whip of the ruling party in the Indian Parliament is responsible for the smooth conduct of business in the two Houses of Parliament along with other Parliamentary functionaries mentioned above.

Monitoring Group of All India Whips' Conference

14.5 The Twelfth All India whips' Conference held at Srinagar on 21st and 22nd August, 1997 had inter-alia recommended for setting up of a Monitoring Group consisting of Chief Whips of various political parties at the Centre and in the States, under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, to watch the progress of implementation of the recommendations of the Twelfth All India whips' Conference and the views expressed in its Plenary Sessions.

14.6 In pursuance of the above recommendation of the Twelfth All India whips' Conference a 16 member Monitoring Group under the Chairmanship of shri Madan Lal Khurana, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism was constituted on 17th July, 1998. Shri Ram Naik, Union Minister of State for Railways and Parliamentary Affairs was nominated as Vice-chairman of the Monitoring Group. A copy of the notification No.F. 2(1)/97-R&C dated 17th July, 1998 constituting the Monitoring Group is at Appendix-XVIII.

14.7 In partial modification of the above notification another notification was issued on 13th October, 1998 nominating Shri Kanchi Pannerselvam, Member of Parliament who had subsequently been elected as Whip of the A.I.A.D.M.K. party in Lok Sabha , as a member of the Monitoring Group in place of Shri S. Murugesan, Member of Parliament who had been originally nominated on the Monitoring Group vide the earlier notification dated 17th July, 1998. A copy of the notification dated 13th October, 1998 is at appendix-XIX.

Formation of Sub-Committees of Monitoring Group

14.8 At its first meeting held on 11th August, 1998 in New Delhi, the Monitoring Group decided to constitute two sub-committees for going to the various states to study and assess the stage of implementation of the recommendations of the Whips' Conference. The two sub-committees, viz Sub-Committee 'A' and sub-Committee 'B' are to cover the various States as indicated below:-

Sub-Committee 'A' - To cover Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Pondicherry.

Sub-Committee 'B' - To cover Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal.

A copy of the circular No 2(1)/97-R&C dated 18th August, 1998 regarding constitution of the two Sub-Committees is at Appendix-XX

14.9 Sub-Committee'B' of the Monitoring Group held its first meeting at Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir on 22nd October, 1998. Sub-Committee'A' held its first meeting at New Delhi on 22nd December, 1998.

Home| Content | Previous | Next