Oppn, Govt lock horns in RS over referring RTI bill to a

Government and the Congress-led Opposition in Rajya Sabha entered into a tug of war over sending RTI (Amendment) Bill to a Select Committee of the House, forcing four adjournments.

As soon as the House resumed in the afternoon, Deputy Chairman Harivansh asked the Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh to move the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill.

After moving it for consideration, the minister urged the Chair to hold discussion on the bill and then decide on the motions for its passage as well as the issue of sending the draft law to a select committee.

As many as five members had given notice for amendment seeking to send the bill to a select Committee.

The government stuck to its point that the motions for sending the bill to select committee and passage of the draft law would be taken up after the discussions.

The House witnessed four brief adjournments amid the din as Congress, DMK, CPI, CPM, TMC and AAP members remained in the Well and raised slogans against the government.

The opposition members also stuck to their demand to move the motion for sending the bill to select committee before initiating discussion on that.

Before the stalemate, TMC leader Derek O'Brien told the Chair that the House took up two short duration discussions and three calling attention during this session.

He said that as per convention, the House should take up at least one short duration discussion in a week and therefore sufficient time is not being given to discussing important issues.

He also said that a short duration discussion on ministry of MSME was listed for discussion which later vanished.

On this, Leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the House is still short of two short duration discussion during this session.

He also said,"We have been passing legislation. There has to be discussion on those."
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said,"I assure that next week, we are ready to clear the backlog (of short duration discussion)."
Prakash Javadekar said,"Conventions are relevant when the House runs smoothly. The other House passed bills. As many as 22 bills lapsed. The House could not pass it. There is context to it."
Sharma said,"We are not under obligation to blindly endorse the bill which come from Lok Sabha. We are clear on it that if other House has not referred the bill to standing committee then it is our duty to send it to a committee. It cannot be done in hurry."