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Tuesday, Aug 22, 2006

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National

Rethink on practice in Lok Sabha

Special Correspondent

House adjourned after TDP member's death

NEW DELHI: With the Lok Sabha being adjourned for a day on Monday without transacting any business following the death of sitting Telugu Desam Party MP Kondapalli Paidithalli Naidu, a proposal to revert to a convention that does away with this practice is under consideration.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Monday for Mr. Naidu, who died in his native Bobbili on Saturday.

Describing him as an able Parliamentarian, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee recalled that he had ably served in different capacities on various local bodies in his State.

Parliamentary sources said that at the leaders meeting on Monday a proposal to revive the convention of the House adjourning only when a sitting MP dies in Delhi on a working day to enable members pay their last respects came up for discussion.

In other cases, the convention was that the House pays respect and observes silence for those who may have passed away at a place outside Delhi.

Obituary reference

At present, in the case of a death of a sitting member even during the inter-session, the House on re-assembly makes obituary reference and adjourns for the day.

The sources said the issue first figured when the 14th Lok Sabha was constituted, but there was no formal agreement. When Bidar MP Ramachandra Veerappan died in July 2004, the convention could not be revived. Since then, six other sitting MPs, including the former Union Minister, Sunil Dutt, have died.

It is understood that there could be another meeting of leaders to re-introduce the convention, the sources said.

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