CHAPTER - XV
Leader of the
Lok Sabha
15.1 Shri Atal Bihari
Vajpayee continued as the Leader of the Lok Sabha with effect from 13.10.1999.
Leader
of the Rajya Sabha
15.2 Shri Jaswant Singh,
Minister of External Affairs continued as the Leader of the Rajya Sabha with
effect from 15.10.1999.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha
15.3 Smt. Sonia
Gandhi, Leader of the Congress (I) Party continued as the Leader of Opposition
with effect from 13.10.99
Leader of
Opposition in the Rajya Sabha
15.4 Dr. Manmohan Singh continued as the Leader of Opposition upto 15.6.2001. He was again recognised as the Leader of Opposition with effect from 15.6.01 consequent upon his re-election to the Rajya Sabha on 15.6.2001.
Motion of
Confidence in the Council of Ministers
GENESIS:
15.5 An essential tenet of the Westminister system is that the Government must be collectively responsible to the representative House and possess at all times its confidence. In India, the doctrine of collective responsibility of the Union Executive to the House of the People and of the State Executive to the Legislative Assembly is specifically enshrined in the Constitution. Collective Ministerial responsibility is the crux of Parliamentary domocracy. The Council of Ministers must enjoy the confidence of the House to stay in power. By convention, loss of confidence of the popular House requires the Government to resign and facilitate installation of an alternative Government. The usual procedure to express want of confidence in the Council of Ministers is through a motion of no confidence under Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. The device of confidence motion is of recent origin. There is no rule in the Rules of Procedure relating to Motion of Confidence in the Council of Ministers. The requirement of moving such motion was perhaps not visualised at the time of framing of Lok Sabha Rules. The necessity of raising debate through such a motion, which is in the nature of an exercise of demonstrating majority support in the Lok Sabha, arose in the late seventies with the advent of majority Governments caused by split in parties and later formation of coalition Governments as a result of hung Parliaments. In the absence of any specific rule in this regard, such Motions of Confidence has been entertained under the category of motions stipulated in Rule 184 which are meant for raising discussions on matters of public interest. Decisions on such motions are taken under Rule 191 by putting before the house all the necessary questions.
15.6 In the case of a
Confidence Motion, there is no requirement for seeking leave of the House. The
one line notice of motion under
Rule 184 that "This House expresses its confidence in the Council of
Ministers" is given by the Prime Minister at the behest of a Presidential
direction. When admitted by the Speaker, it is bulletined. The date and time
for its discussion is then fixed in consultation with the Business Advisory
Committee.
15.7 Though a
Confidence Motion is worded in the language which is directly opposite to the
wording of a No-Confidence Motion, in effect, the object and purpose of both is
same. While, in one case, the majority support is demonstrated by the adoption
of the Confidence Motion, in the other the same purpose is achieved by the
defeat of a No-Confidence Motion. Where notices are received both for a
Confidence Motion and a No-Confidence Motion, the former gets priority over the
later.
15.8 The notice of the
first ever Motion of Confidence was given by the then Prime Minister Ch. Charan
Singh and admitted for being moved on 20th August, 1979. This motion
could not be moved as Ch. Charan Singh tendered the resignation of his Council of Ministers that day and
the House was adjourned sine die.
15.9 The first Motion
of Confidence was moved by Shri V.P. Singh, the then Prime Minister on 21st
December, 1989 in the Lok Sabha which was adopted by the House by the voice
vote on the same day. Since then ten Motions of Confidence have been moved. A
statement showing the Motions of Confidence so far moved is annexed (Appendix -
XVIII).
Introduction
of Ministers
15.10 Ministers inducted into Council of Ministers are normally introduced to the two Houses by the Prime Minister. However, in exceptional circumstances when Prime Minister is not available due to indisposition etc. new Ministers are also introduced to the Rajya Sabha by the Leader of the House or to the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs(MPA). No entry for the purpose is given in the List of Business of the two Houses. During the year under report, the Ministers who were inducted into Council of Ministers were introduced to the Houses as indicated below.
LOK SABHA
______________________________________________________________________________________
Date of Introduced
by Cabinet
Minister MOS(IC) MOS
Introduction___________________________________________________________________________
23.7.2001 PM 1 - -
19.11.2001 PM 1 - -
20.11.2001 PM 4 - 5
22.11.2001 MPA - - 1 ______________________________________________________________________________________
RAJYA SABHA
______________________________________________________________________________________
Date of Introduced
by Cabinet
Minister MOS(IC) MOS
Introduction___________________________________________________________________________
24.7.2001 Leader
of the House 1 - -
20.11.2001 -
do - 5 - 4
21.11.2001 -
do - - - 1
______________________________________________________________________________________
Work Study
15.11 As per instructions, Work Study Section functions in the Ministry for conducting measurement and method/procedural studies of various Sections and on various subjects; co-ordinating action regarding such studies by the S.I.U. in the Ministry of Finance and also to see that instructions issued from time to time in regard to proper custody, care and management of office records and other aspects of O&M are scrupulously followed in the Ministry.
15.12. 3276 files were recorded and 3226 old files were reviewed, out of which 3071 files were destroyed and 155 files were retained for further references.
Research Work
15.13 The Ministry provides
advice/technical guidance on matters of Parliamentary procedure and practices
to Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments/Union Territories
Administrations whenever the same is asked for. From time to time, notes and
brochures are prepared on various Parliamentary and Constitutional matters for
official use.
Reservation for Scheduled
Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes
15.14 The
Ministry follows the instructions issued by the Government of India from time
to time regarding reservation of vacancies for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
15.15 Out
of the total number of 135 employees (excluding the Personal staff of
Ministers) of the Ministry, 29 belong to the Scheduled Castes, 15 belong to the
Scheduled Tribes and 7 belong to Other Backward Classes.
Budgetary Position
15.16 The
Budgetary position of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is as under:-
(Amount in Lakhs of Rupees)
|
Major Head |
Sub-head |
Budget Estimates 2001-02 |
Revised Estimates 2001-02 |
Budget Estimates 2002-03 |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
Major Head
"2052" Secretariat General Services 00.090 Secretariat (Minor Head)
13-Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.00.01 Salaries |
2,00,00 |
1,80,00 |
1,85,00 |
|
|
13.00.03 Overtime Allowance |
6,00 |
6,00 |
6,00 |
|
|
13.00.11 Domestic
Travel Expenses |
12,00 |
22,00 |
25,00 |
|
|
13.00.12 Foreign
Travel Expenses |
70,00 |
49,00 |
55,00 |
|
|
13.00.13 Office
Expenses |
90,00 |
90,00 |
85,00 |
|
|
13.00.16
Publications |
6,00 |
6,00 |
5,00 |
|
|
13.00.20 Other
Administrative Expenses |
30,00 |
24,00 |
20,00 |
|
|
13.00.50 Other
Charges |
50,00 |
40,00 |
40,00 |
|
|
Total Major Head
"2052" |
4,64,00 |
4,17,00 |
4,21,00 |
Training Courses in
Parliamentary Procedures and Practices
15.17(a) The
Ministry organised one Orientation Course in Parliamentary Procedures and
Practices for Officers of the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India
during the year 2001 as per detals indicated below:-
Designation of Participants Number
of Officers who Duration
of the Course
participated
in the Course
Section Officers/Parliament 23 15.10.2001
to 17.10.2001
Assistants/Assistants
15.17 (b) In
pursuance of recommendations of the 10th and the 11th All
India Whips' Conferences, the Ministry has been organising Orientation Courses
in Parliamentary Procedures and Practices for the officers of the level of
Deputy Secretary/Under Secretary of the Parliamentary/Legislative Affairs
Department of various States/Union Territory Administration
since 1994. During the period under Report, one course was organised by the Ministry as per details indicated below:-
________________________________________________________________________________
States/Union Territories
which No.
of Officers who participated Duration
of the Course
deputed their Officers in
the course_________________________________
1 2 3_____________
Pondicherry, Gujarat, Taiml Nadu, 9 9.4.2001
to 18.4.2001
Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh & Tripura
________________________________________________________________________________
Training to Parliamentary
Fellows
15.18 A
batch of six Parliamentary Fellows sponsored by the Institute of Constitutional
and Parliamentary Studies, New Delhi received training in the Ministry from 8th
May, 2001 to 10th May, 2001:-
1. Shri
Christopher Ashiekan Nigeria
2. Shri
Godwin Edpenyong Nigeria
3. Shri
George Emetu Nigeria
4. Shri
Samir Kumar Das India
5. Shri
Vijay Kumar Gupta India
6. Shri
Madan Kumar Debey India
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