LUCKNOW: Amid a raging national debate
over the Right to Information Act, the UP assembly has triggered a new
controversy by seeking to initiate contempt of the House proceedings against the
State Information Commission (SIC) and petitioners who sought
information.
Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar took a decision to this effect
recently after an all-party meeting. CM Mayawati also attended the meeting. The
issue was raised in the assembly on February 15, 2008. In fact, Rajbhar has only
ratified his predecessor Mata Prasad Pandey���s decision. The row is set to
give a new dimension to the issue, after Parliament and the judiciary took
conflicting stands on the subject.
The assembly has crossed swords
with the commission for the issuance of its notices to furnish information
sought by a couple of petitioners under the RTI Act. While one petitioner,
Romesh Tiwari, had sought to know ��� (a) Whether an MLA could bid for a
contract? (b) What are the provisions for this? and (c) Whether an MLA becomes
liable to lose his or her membership on the basis of the profit earned through
the contract? Another petitioner, Motilal had sought information about the
proceedings of the Petition Committee of the 13th assembly.
When no
information was furnished, the petitioners approached the SIC which issued
summons to the assembly. The assembly took a serious exception of the
Commission���s notice. It has been argued that Rule 84 of the procedure and
conduct of business for the assembly lays down that "no legal proceedings within
the precincts of the House will be served without the prior permission of the
Speaker". Its violation would attract provisions of the contempt of the House,
senior Vidhan Sabha official said.
