MPs should be on par with HC chief justices: Par panel

These are the key recommendations of the Committee of Privileges of the Lok Sabha, which tabled its report in the House today.

The Committee, headed by Congress MP P C Chacko, also recommended that former Speakers of the Lok Sabha should be placed at number seven in the Warrant of Precedence on par with Union cabinet ministers, former Prime Ministers and Leaders of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

At present, former Speakers of Lok Sabha are not part of the Warrant of Precedence, while the Speaker is placed at number 6 along with the Chief Justice of India.
The Committee expressed "displeasure" that MPs are placed at the end (number 21) of the Warrant of Precedence, "much below their status and lower to persons not holding constitutional offices and even bureaucrats."

It has recommended that MPs be placed at number 17 of the Warrant of Precedence on par with Chief Justices of High Courts and Chairpersons of CAT, Minorities Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes and National Commission of Scheduled Tribes, besides Puisne Judges of High Courts.

At number 17, the MPs will be placed above Cabinet ministers of state governments who are placed at number 18.

The Committee also took note of "recurrent instances" of protocol violations and discourteous behaviour by government officials while dealing with MPs.