Parties should recognise performing legislators

Political parties should recognise performing parliamentarians and the media should also train its focus on them instead of those who create a ruckus in the house, speakers at a function here Saturday said.

A day after the 15th Lok Sabha came to an end, five parliamentarians, including a woman, were honoured with the Sansad Ratna award by the city-based Prime Point Foundation, an NGO that creates awareness on effective communication across different sectors.

"It is a good attempt to recognise the positive side of the Lok Sabha members," former chief election commissioner N. Gopalaswami said while handing over the certificates to the five parliamentarians at the Chennai Press Club.

Based on the data released by the Lok Sabha secretariat and PRS Legislative Research on participation in debates, introduction of private member bills and the number of questions raised, the performance of members of parliament (MP) are rated, said K.Srinivasan, chairman of the Prime Point Foundation.

The winners of the Sansad Ratna award under the overall category are: Anandrao Adsul of the Shiv Sena from Maharashtra (total score 1,254), Arjun Ram Meghwal of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Rajasthan (1,147), Hansraj G. Ahir, BJP, Maharastra (1,111), S.S. Ramasubbu, Congress, Tamil Nadu (1,186), Gajanan Babar, Shiv Sena, Maharashtra (1,150), Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM, Andhra Pradesh (1,121), Pradeep Kumar Majhi, Congress, Odisha (1,070), Shivaji Adhalrao Patil, Shiv Sena, Maharashtra (1,044) and Eknath Mahadeo Gaikwad, Congress, Maharashtra (1,003).

Srinivasan said the cut-off mark was kept at 1,000 for the overall category.

The top three women MPs - Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress from Maharashtra (771); Ratna Singh, Congress, Uttar Pradesh (689), and Rama Devi, BJP, Bihar (687) - qualified for the Sansad Mahila Ratna.

According to Srinivasan, senior leaders of political parties should recognise their performing members instead of mocking at them for spending time in the library and doing research on issues.

While Ahir, Ramasubbu, Babar and Patil received the award for overall performance, Rama Devi of BJP, Bihar received the Sansad Mahila Ratna award for being one of the toppers among the women MPs.

The remaining MPs some of whom had earlier confirmed participation did not turn up.

Srinivasan said the foundation has been honouring the top performing MPs for the past four years and this was the final edition for the current Lok Sabha.