Irked by the leaking of confidential deliberations of the Parliamentary Standing Committees, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday wrote to panel chairpersons asking them to ensure that MPs do not divulge details of meetings till a report is placed before Parliament.
Naidu reminded that the proceedings of the committees are confidential and it is not permissible for an MP or anyone to communicate it to the media before the report is placed before Parliament. Such actions are a breach of privilege of the House, he warned.
In the letter to chairpersons of eight Standing Committees under the Upper House, Naidu said Parliamentary Committees have been entrusted with the major responsibility of functioning on behalf of Parliament.
These committees undertake detailed scrutiny of legislative proposals of the government of the day, which has not been found feasible for Parliament to do in the transaction of its day-to-day business for various reasons. These panels also choose various subjects and study them in a non-partisan manner, he said.
Naidu noted that several recommendations of these panels were accepted by the government, which would not have been ordinarily possible in the regular course of the legislative process in both the Houses of the Parliament.
"However, for some time now, it has been observed that the media has been found quoting, in their reportage, the proceedings of the committees related to the subject matters or the legislative Bills under their consideration and examination," he said.
"I urge upon you to impress upon the MPs belonging to your committee and participating in the proceedings to strictly adhere to the existing provisions/ direction relating to confidentiality and refrain from premature divulgence of any information to the media, till the reports are presented to the House," he wrote to the chairpersons.