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With the government agreeing to the Opposition demand for setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the 2G spectrum scam, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Friday insisted that if and when the panel was constituted its jurisdiction would be confined to ‘one definite subject.'
According to the rules of procedure of Parliament, a definite issue needs to be mentioned in the motion and there could not be a probe into a general issue like corruption, he said, talking to journalists ahead of the budget session.
Leaders of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley “know the rules better than me,” the Minister said.
Recalling that in the past there were four Joint Parliamentary Committees on different subjects, the Minister said they had a clear time frame and terms of reference.
The government is expected to move a motion in the Lok Sabha, proposing the constitution of the JPC, under rule 193 (which does not warrant voting) and once approved, it would be referred to the Rajya Sabha. Indications are there would be 20 members from the Lower House and 10 from the Upper House on the JPC.
The Minister said he had been engaged in talks with the whips and chief whips of various parties on various subjects likely to come up during the session.
Asked about the Prime Minister's readiness to appear before the JPC, he said: “Normally Ministers do not present themselves before such a committee. The Prime Minister's general comment [at Wednesday's interaction with editors of television channels] was in the context of aspersions cast on his office. If the JPC comes into being and the Prime Minister has to appear before it, the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will have to decide whether to allow it. The decision of the Speaker will be final.”
The budget session would be held in two phases. President Pratibha Patil would address the joint session on February 21, while presentation of the Economic Survey and the Railway budget is scheduled for February 25 and the general budget for February 28.
While 34 Bills are pending, the government hopes to introduce 32 new ones.
The session would adjourn for a recess on March 16 and re-convene on April 4. It would conclude on April 21, earlier than the normal schedule, in view of elections in several States.
According to the rules of procedure of Parliament, a definite issue needs to be mentioned in the motion and there could not be a probe into a general issue like corruption, he said, talking to journalists ahead of the budget session.
Leaders of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley “know the rules better than me,” the Minister said.
Recalling that in the past there were four Joint Parliamentary Committees on different subjects, the Minister said they had a clear time frame and terms of reference.
The government is expected to move a motion in the Lok Sabha, proposing the constitution of the JPC, under rule 193 (which does not warrant voting) and once approved, it would be referred to the Rajya Sabha. Indications are there would be 20 members from the Lower House and 10 from the Upper House on the JPC.
The Minister said he had been engaged in talks with the whips and chief whips of various parties on various subjects likely to come up during the session.
Asked about the Prime Minister's readiness to appear before the JPC, he said: “Normally Ministers do not present themselves before such a committee. The Prime Minister's general comment [at Wednesday's interaction with editors of television channels] was in the context of aspersions cast on his office. If the JPC comes into being and the Prime Minister has to appear before it, the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will have to decide whether to allow it. The decision of the Speaker will be final.”
The budget session would be held in two phases. President Pratibha Patil would address the joint session on February 21, while presentation of the Economic Survey and the Railway budget is scheduled for February 25 and the general budget for February 28.
While 34 Bills are pending, the government hopes to introduce 32 new ones.
The session would adjourn for a recess on March 16 and re-convene on April 4. It would conclude on April 21, earlier than the normal schedule, in view of elections in several States.