SHILLONG: The Assembly on Monday decided to summon and reprimand Zenithsky J. Sangma, the CEO of Tura Municipal Board, at the Bar of the House on March 23 for committing breach of privilege of Independent legislator John Leslee Sangma.
The action against the officer is following the recommendation of the Privileges Committee of the Assembly.
The recommendation was that Zenithsky should be summoned and reprimanded and he should tender apology in the House failing which disciplinary action will be taken against him, including termination of service.
Earlier, John had filed a complaint against Sangma with the Privileges Committee for falsely alleging through FIRs that the legislator had instigated vegetable vendors of Tura Ringrey market and for addressing the elected representative as “one person”.
Following the complaint, the matter was referred to the Privileges Committee by the Speaker.
The Committee had held several meetings and on March 16, the report of the committee tabled in the House had indicted the officer.
As per the report, filing of FIRs against John and asking him to appear before Tura police station without proper justification was a serious breach of privilege of the member.
The committee sought action against the officer as his clarifications were not satisfactory.
After Chairman of the Privileges Committee, Saleng Sangma, moved the House to adopt the report of the Committee, Assembly Speaker AT Mondal sought the views of the House regarding the matter.
After the House adopted the report, it was decided to summon and reprimand the official at the Bar of the House as provided under Rule 171 and Rule 192 of the Rules of the Procedure and Conduct of Business of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
The Speaker said a warrant will be issued with a direction to the department concerned to serve the warrant and bring the official to the House on March 23.
This is not the first time that punishment under breach of privilege was initiated against an individual by the Assembly.
On April 4, 1973, Prof Kapila Chatterjee, editor of English Weekly Young-India, was summoned before the Bar of the House and reprimanded for publishing a libelous report under the heading ‘The bark of ignorant mischievous politicians’, and a defamatory editorial with the caption ‘Privileges of Legislators’.
