Officials must pay attention to legislators’ protocol

Jaipur: the Assembly Secretariat will take a strict stance on issue of officials not adhering to protocol of legislators at govt events. The Secretariat has taken these complaints seriously and has sought answers from govt in every case. Even complaints from the previous 15th Assembly are now being reviewed, and the Secretariat has asked the govt for details of the action taken. Complaints from opposition legislators about officials not respecting their protocol are a recurring issue in every Assembly.

During previous govt, BJP legislators consistently complained to Speaker and the Secretariat about this. With the change in power, these protocol complaints have now shifted to Cong camp, and Cong legislators are raising complaints about officials neglecting their protocol at govt events. Following a discussion on a motion about disregard of public representatives in the previous Assembly, the govt issued an 8-page circular on March 12, 2022, regarding the respect for public representatives

26 COMPLAINTS FILED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS

In the last two years, 26 complaints regarding violations of protocol by offi cials have been made to the Administrative Reforms Department of the government by MPs and MLAs, including former MPs Diya Kumari, Manoj Rajoria, and Ranjita Koli. During the previous government, these three complaints were immediately responded to by the Lok Sabha, but action was not taken on most complaints from BJP MLAs. With the change in government, the Assembly has now asked offi cials for answers regarding these complaints. In the previous government, former legislators Ashok Lahoti, Suresh Rawat, Gopal Lal Sharma, Avinash Gehlot, Chandrakanta Meghwal, Hamir Singh Bhayal, and Rooparam had raised complaints about protocol violations by offi cials and at government events. Many complaints were about Congress candidates being invited as chief guests at government events, bypassing the legislators. Currently, Chomu MLA Shikha Meel Barala has also raised a complaint about being ignored at a govt.