The Hindu : National : Vayalar Ravi hopes for cooperation from all MPs

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Tuesday, Apr 08, 2008
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Vayalar Ravi hopes for cooperation from all MPs

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The new Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, is confident that he will be able to get the cooperation of all sections in Parliament, especially those in the Opposition, to ensure meaningful discussions.

Mr. Ravi said he would follow whatever systems his predecessor Priyaranjan Dasmunsi had put in place.

He was speaking to journalists after taking charge on Monday.

In a bid to assuage the “hurt” feelings of Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on non-implementation of his suggestion on a permanent mechanism for revision of salary and perquisites of MPs that had the approval of all sections in Parliament, Mr. Ravi said it was a “very good idea.” Perhaps the only reason why the Cabinet rejected it was that it may not have been possible to implement it in this Lok Sabha.

If a panel or a commission was set up now after Cabinet approval, it would take time before it was ready with its recommendations, and there would not be enough time for the recommendations to be implemented before the next Lok Sabha. It was then felt that it was better to leave the matter to the next Lok Sabha.

Asked how he would deal with Left members, as he had always been critical of them, he said his views were in the context of Kerala politics (where the Left and the Congress are political rivals). He pointed out that personally he enjoyed good relations with many Left leaders.

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