New Delhi: The powers of the presiding officers of Parliament and state legislatures are to be reviewed by a high-powered panel set up by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Sources said Mr Om Birla has nominated the Speaker of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Dr C P Joshi as chairperson; and three other members are Dr Surjya Narayana Patro, Speaker, Odisha Assembly, Vishweshwar Hedge Kageri, Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and Sharingain Longkumer, Speaker of Nagaland assembly.
The panel will ‘review’ the powers of the Presiding Officers under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
A Committee of Presiding Officers has also been set up to Examine the Matter of Financial Independence of Legislature Secretariat.
“It is a well-deserved recognition for the State of Nagaland as much as for Speaker Longkumer. With Nagaland having its own share of Petitions under the 10th Schedule, his association with this Committee will be in the larger interest of Parliamentary democracy,” said a release from Nagaland assembly.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu has taken to Twitter to congratulate Longkumer. and said, “It’s an important task. I’m sure you will do it with objectivity and integrity”.
The 10th Schedule of the Constitution relates to the issues pertaining to ‘disqualification of members’ of a House and the matter is referred to the Speaker. Issues have been coming up from time to time that an elected Speaker of state legislatures and Lok Sabha also belongs to a political party.
