The Hindu : National : Help streamline Zero Hour, says Somnath Chatterjee

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Thursday, Dec 09, 2004

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National

Help streamline Zero Hour, says Somnath Chatterjee

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 8. The Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, today sought the cooperation of the House in streamlining the Zero Hour proceedings, given the growing number of notices from members to raise issues which more often do not relate to their constituencies and have little national or international significance.

Before taking up Zero Hour, the Speaker told the House that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) had discussed the issue and was of the view that not more than 15 members be allowed to raise matters in a day. ``And, unless a matter of emergent national or international importance is involved, each member may be allowed to raise not more than one matter in a week.''

Today, 75 notices were submitted. ``It becomes practically impossible for the Chair to allow so many notices,'' Mr. Chatterjee said.

At the BAC meeting, it was observed that many of the notices related to individual constituencies and did not involve matters of recent occurrence or of national or international importance. However, no sooner had the Speaker made the appeal, members were on their feet demanding their notice be taken up first.

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