The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : No more criticism of privilege issue: Speaker

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 29, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

No more criticism of privilege issue: Speaker

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 28. There should be no more debate, discussion or criticism on any forum, including in newspapers, of the privilege issue raised against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, M. Karunanidhi, ``till the Privileges Committee completes its investigations and pronounces its recommendations,'' the Speaker, K. Kalimuthu, ordered today.

Mr.Kalimuthu said once the House referred an issue to the committee and when it was under consideration by the panel, MLAs or outsiders or newspapers debating the issue or levelling criticism or newspapers publishing the criticism was a punishable offence.

The Speaker said the MLAs and newspapers should realise this legal provision under the Assembly rules and act accordingly so as not to breach the privilege of the House. He requested them to uphold the dignity of the House and refrain from such acts.

Advice to Karunanidhi

Cautioning Mr. Karunanidhi against talking or writing about the issue outside the Assembly, the Speaker advised him to adhere to the rules of the House and appear before the Privileges Committee and offer his explanation and proof.

The Speaker, in his three-page order in the Assembly, recalled the issue, the Finance Minister, C. Ponnaiyan's statement and Mr.Karunanidhi's response, and said he was putting a full stop to the matter. There could be no further discussion until the committee gave its advice.

Punishing the corrupt

A Bill was introduced to amend the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act, 1983 to provide for a more stringent punishment to corrupt staff members. The maximum punishment that could be imposed under the Act was imprisonment for one year or a fine of Rs.500 or both. To deal with employees guilty of corruption under the Indian Penal Code, which provides for a more stringent punishment, the Government decided to amend the Cooperative Societies Act.

Extension of term

The Government decided to extend the period of appointment of special officers of some cooperative societies for one more year beyond August 9 this year. For, elections to certain scheduled societies under the control of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies and other functional registrars were pending for ``administrative and other reasons.'' An enabling Bill was introduced.

Stamp duty reduction

The Revenue Minister, O. Paneerselvam, introduced a Bill to reduce stamp duty to one per cent of the market value of the property subject to a maximum of Rs. 10,000 for instruments of settlement, release, partition and partition on dissolution of partnership when the property transaction takes place within the family, to remove the complex system in the structure of stamp duty and to include a letter, note or memorandum to be deemed an instrument evidencing an agreement on the deposit of title deeds.

The Indian Stamp Act, 1899, in its application to Tamil Nadu, will also be amended to revise the stamp duty for some instruments from Rs.2.50 to .20 specified in certain articles.

Panel chairman

P.H. Manoj Pandian, MLA, has been appointed the Estimates Committee chairman, in the vacancy caused by the elevation of the incumbent as Minister.

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