Government reiterates Instructions to babus on how to treat MPs
THE Members of Parliament and State Legislatures as the accredited representatives of the people occupy a very important place in our democratic set-up. The Committee on Violation of Protocol Norms and Contemptuous Behaviour of Government Officers with Members of Lok Sabha in its First Report tabled in the Lok Sabha on 06.02.2014 has recommended that DoPT may sensitise all civil servants and officials in various Ministries and Departments particularly under them for strict compliance of the instructions relating to official dealings issued in this regard between the Administration and the Members of Parliament.
Government reiterates the instructions issued earlier.
(i) Government servants should show courtesy and consideration to Members of Parliament and State Legislatures;
(ii) While the Government servants should consider carefully or listen patiently to what the Members of Parliament and of the State legislatures may have to say, the Government servant should always act according to his own best judgment and as per the rules;
(iii) Any deviation from an appointment made with a Member of Parliament/State Legislature must be promptly explained to him to avoid any possible inconvenience. Fresh appointment should be fixed in consultation with him;
(iv) An officer should be meticulously correct and courteous and rise to receive and see off a Member of Parliament/State Legislature visiting him.
(v) Members of Parliament of the area should invariably be invited to public functions organized by a Government office. Proper and comfortable seating arrangements at public functions and proper order of seating on the dais should be made for Members keeping in view the fact that they appear above officers of the rank of Secretaries to Government of India in the Warrant of Precedence;
(vi) Where any meeting convened by the Government is to be attended by Members of Parliament, special care should be taken to see that notice is given to them in good time regarding the date, time, venue etc. of the meeting;
(vii) Letters from Members of Parliament and Members of State Legislatures must be promptly acknowledged, and a reply sent at an appropriate level expeditiously as per the relevant provisions of the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure;
(viii) If the information sought by a Member of Parliament cannot be given and is to be refused, instructions from a higher authority should be taken and the reasons for not furnishing the information should be given in the reply;
(ix) References from the Committees of Parliament must be attended to promptly;
(x) The officers should not ignore telephonic messages left for them by the Members of Parliament/State Legislatures in their absence and should try to contact at the earliest the Member of Parliament/State Legislature concerned. These instructions also include SMS and emails received on official mobile telephones which also should be replied to promptly and on priority;
(xi) A Government servant should not approach MPs/MLAs for sponsoring his individual case as bringing or attempting to bring political or non-official or other outside influence is prohibited under the conduct Rules
DoPT letter in F.No.11013/2/2012-Estt.A., Dated: November 19, 2014