AP Assembly: panel suggests measures for better management

A four-member committee headed by the Deputy Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Assembly Mandali Buddha Prasad has recommended that the entire issue of video recording, live telecast of the House proceedings and related issues be examined afresh and a comprehensive mechanism be established for a "leak-proof and fool-proof system".
The committee suggested penal provisions to prevent leakage of video footage of the proceedings of the House.
The committee also suggested "remedial measures" for better management of the House against the backdrop of the incidents in the Assembly during the winter session in December. The report was tabled in the House today.

Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly be suitably amended providing for "immediate suspension of members", irrespective of their status and sides, if they made derogatory remarks and comments against other members, it said.
It also suggested "automatic suspension" of members who rush into the Podium and a cut in the daily allowance for members who make "running commentaries" persistently and intentionally cause disturbance.
Adequate provisions empowering the Speaker should be incorporated in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business to "enforce strict order and discipline" in the House, the Committee added.

The Committee also recommended that the Rules Committee of

the Assembly should re-examine the issue of adding new provisions in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business for enforcing the discipline.
The Committee strongly felt that all provisions under Rule 316, especially the proviso stipulating that "members shall not bring cell phones, pagers or play cassettes or tape recorders" either in the House or in the galleries should be enforced "impartially and strictly".
On the alleged leakage of video footage related to the House proceedings in December last, the Committee rejected the demand by YSR Congress member G Srikanth Reddy for a probe by the Cyber Police.
"Requesting the Cyber Police of Hyderabad to investigate the matter without proper details will certainly lower the authority and dignity of the Assembly," Committee members T Sravan Kumar (TDP) and P Vishnu Kumar Raju (BJP) opined.

Sravan noted that it would be inappropriate to entrust the matter of investigation to an outside agency since the issue pertained to the "House and its sanctity".
The Committee, however, recommended that necessary provisions be incorporated in the Rules to ensure that the Legislature Secretariat took adequate care to preserve and protect the video recordings.
Necessary instructions and guidelines should be issued to the firm entrusted with the responsibility of video recording the Assembly proceedings, said, adding that penal action be taken to prevent leakage of video footage in future.