The Hindu : National : Somnath expresses happiness

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Wednesday, Aug 04, 2004

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National

Somnath expresses happiness

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 3. The Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, expressed happiness over the National Democratic Alliance's decision to withdraw its decision of boycotting the parliamentary committees.

Mr. Chatterjee said that both the Government as well as the Opposition had agreed to withdraw the statements they had made in the House on the last day of the first part of the Budget session that ended on July 23 leading to the impasse. The remarks made by the Deputy Leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, V.K. Malhotra, and the subsequent statement by the Leader of the House, Pranab Mukherjee, condemning the Opposition's behaviour had become a point of dispute.

Today's breakfast meeting between Mr. Chatterjee and Mr. Advani took place after the Speaker wrote to Mr. Advani urging the Opposition to withdraw its boycott.

Advani expresses regret

At the hour-long working breakfast, Mr. Advani assured the Speaker that his party had nothing against him and expressed regrets for any inconvenience caused to the Speaker. It was also agreed that both sides would withdraw the offending statements made on July 23. Apparently, this "formula" paved the way for the Opposition to join the parliamentary committees.

Speaking to The Hindu after the NDA had sent in its list of names for the parliamentary committees, Mr. Chatterjee said he was "happy that the Opposition had decided to end its boycott.'' The Speaker said though he was hurt by the fact that he was not allowed to speak in Parliament, he was "willing to forget the unpleasantness."

Modalities on August 16

Mr. Advani told presspersons that the agreement to end the stalemate was arrived at at his meeting with Mr. Chatterjee followed by his consultations with the Prime Minister and his ministerial colleagues, including Mr. Mukherjee. He said that the modalities of the "withdrawal" of the controversial statements made by Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Malhotra would be worked out when the House meets on August 16. It is learnt that the Speaker's office was busy till late at night giving final shape to 16 parliamentary committees.

16 committees

Mr. Chatterjee expressed the hope that the standing committees would begin functioning in the next few days. Of the 16 committees that are to be headed by Lok Sabha MPs, the UPA and its supporting parties will head 10 and the NDA 6.

According to sources, nominees from the Congress will head the standing committees on Defence, Energy, Finance, Petroleum, Natural Gas and Water Resources; the Left parties will head the committees on Labour, Urban Development and Railways; the Samajwadi Party gets Agriculture and the Rashtriya Janata Dal Food and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution. The NDA parties will get Information Technology, including Communications, besides External Affairs, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Rural Development, Social Justice, Coal and Steel. However, some last minute changes in the Ministries allotted to different parties are not being ruled out.

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