NEW DELHI: Commenting on the demand of lawmakers demanding 100 per cent hike in their salary, distinguished Indian Constitutional expert Fali Sam Nariman on Saturday said they would be entitled even to 100 per cent salary increase, provided that they gave all their time to Parliament.
"In England, Parliament sits throughout the year, except for a few weeks here and there, because there is no provision, in England or in America, for an ordinance. In India, we have under our constitution, a provision for an ordinance, which is lawmaking during recession of Parliament, and that is why our Parliament only sits for 80, 90 or 100 days in a year," he said.
"Therefore, it is of the essence that all members of Parliament must, even this limited period of 80 or 90 days, sit and must devote their full time and attention," he added.
And if they wish, on the question of principle, to walkout, said Nariman, they are entitled to walkout, but not to disrupt Parliament, not to walk in.
"Today, the problem is not the walking out, the problem of political parties is they walk in in the floor of the House and disrupt the proceeding, which is erroneous and should not be done," he added.
When asked about a 'No work no pay' bill moved by him as an MP in 2003-04, Nariman said, "This was a private member bill. When I moved the bill, I remember, there was great applause and great acclamation, but then the bill never saw the light of day, because as a nominated member, after my six-year term, I ceased to be in Parliament from 2005 and the bill lapsed. Therefore, there was no discussion on this private member bill."
Suggesting measures to check repeated disruption of the Parliament functioning, Nariman said Parliament itself would have to do it.
"Parliament is the supreme and almost sovereign body that we have under our Constitution, and unless all members get together and decide what to do about it in the interest of the country, I don't think that Parliament can go on for too long," said Nariman, who is also senior advocate to the Supreme Court.
"But, it must go on, because the parliamentary system of government is the best system of government provided we work it well," he added.
When told that lawmakers were demanding 100 per cent hike in their salary, Nariman told ANI: "They would be entitled even to 100 per cent salary increase, provided that they gave all their time to Parliament."
"In England, Parliament sits throughout the year, except for a few weeks here and there, because there is no provision, in England or in America, for an ordinance. In India, we have under our constitution, a provision for an ordinance, which is lawmaking during recession of Parliament, and that is why our Parliament only sits for 80, 90 or 100 days in a year," he said.
"Therefore, it is of the essence that all members of Parliament must, even this limited period of 80 or 90 days, sit and must devote their full time and attention," he added.
And if they wish, on the question of principle, to walkout, said Nariman, they are entitled to walkout, but not to disrupt Parliament, not to walk in.
"Today, the problem is not the walking out, the problem of political parties is they walk in in the floor of the House and disrupt the proceeding, which is erroneous and should not be done," he added.
When asked about a 'No work no pay' bill moved by him as an MP in 2003-04, Nariman said, "This was a private member bill. When I moved the bill, I remember, there was great applause and great acclamation, but then the bill never saw the light of day, because as a nominated member, after my six-year term, I ceased to be in Parliament from 2005 and the bill lapsed. Therefore, there was no discussion on this private member bill."
SOURCE - TOI
