Appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries
SHILLONG: The Rules Committee of the Assembly has favoured amendment to the Assembly rules regarding the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries.
The Assembly Speaker AT Mondal chaired the meeting of the Committee held on Tuesday.
A clause in the Assembly rules had equated the Parliamentary Secretary with a Minister whereas the Act passed by the Assembly in 2005 related to Parliamentary Secretaries (The Meghalaya Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous provisions) Act, 2005 had only maintained that their rank and status will be that of a Minister of State.
The Procedure and Conduct of Business in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly under the title Definitions (h) says “Minister means a member of the council of ministers, a Minister of State, a Deputy Minister or a Parliamentary Secretary”.
Mondal on Wednesday admitted that the Assembly Rules should have been corrected soon after the Act of 2005 related to the Parliamentary Secretaries came into existence.
He indicated that there is a need to amend the rules and the findings of the Committee will be placed in the House in the next Session for approval.
“There will be more meetings before we finalize the matter”, Mondal said.
During the meeting chaired by the Speaker on Tuesday, legislators Metbah Lyngdoh and Remington Pyngrope who are members of the Committee attended the meeting, while two other members, Martin Danggo and Ngaitlang Dhar were out of station.
