Committee on Ethics Fourteenth Lok Sabha
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2 COMMITTEE ON ETHICS FOURTEENTH LOK SABHA SECOND REPORT (Presented to the Speaker, Lok Sabha on 24 August, 2006) (Laid on the Table on 25 August, 2006) LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI SECOND REPORT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS FOURTEENTH LOK SABHA (Presented to the Speaker, Lok Sabha on 24 August, 2006) (Laid on the Table on 25 August, 2006) LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI August, 2006/Bhadrapada, 1928 (Saka) P&E Branch No. 7 Price: Rs. 55.00 © 2006 BY L OK SABHA SECRETARIAT Published under Rule 382 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha (Eleventh Edition) and Printed by Manager, Govt. of India Press, Minto Road, New Delhi-110 002. CONTENTS PAGES Personnel of the Committee on Ethics . (iii) Personnel of the Sub-Committee of Committee on Ethics . (v) Report . 1 Minutes of Sittings of Committee . 15 Minutes of Evidence . 25 Appendices . 51 PERSONNEL OF THE COMMITTEE ON ETHICS (2005-2006) Shri Chandrashekhar — Chairman 2. Shri L.K. Advani 3. Shri Manoranjan Bhakta 4. Shri Anant Gangaram Geete 5. Shri Gurudas Kamat 6. Shri C. Kuppusami 7. Shri Rasheed Masood 8. Shri Madhusudan Mistry 9. Shri Mukeem Mohammad 10. Shri Rupchand Pal 11. Shri Bachi Singh 'Bachda' Rawat* 12. Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh 13. Shri G.V. Venkatswamy 14. Shri C.H. Vijayashankar 15. Shri Devendra Prasad Yadav SECRETARIAT 1. Shri V.K. Sharma — Joint Secretary 2. Shri Ravindra Garimella — Under Secretary 3. Shri Ashok Sajwan — Under Secretary *Nominated w.e.f 21.07.2006 vice Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan resigned his seat in Lok Sabha. (iii) PERSONNEL OF SUB-COMMITTEE OF COMMITTEE ON ETHICS (2005-2006) (14th Lok Sabha) Shri Manoranjan Bhakta—Chairman MEMBERS 2. Shri Anant Gangaram Geete 3. Shri Rasheed Masood 4. Shri Rupchand Pal 5. Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh SECRETARIAT 1. Shri V.K. Sharma — Joint Secretary 2. Shri Ravindra Garimella — Under Secretary 3. Shri Ashok Sajwan — Under Secretary (v) SECOND REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ETHICS (FOURTEENTH LOK SABHA) I. Introduction I, the Chairman of the Committee on Ethics, having been authorised by the Committee to submit the Report on their behalf, present this Second Report to the Speaker, Lok Sabha on the issue of alleged misuse of car park label by Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh, MP. 2. On 22 November, 2005 the matter was referred to the Committee on Ethics by the Speaker for consideration and report. The Committee on Ethics at their first sitting held on 12 December, 2005 took note of the matter and decided to appoint a sub- Committee of the Committee to deliberate on the matter and report to the Committee. A sub-Committee of the Committee on Ethics was accordingly constituted on 22 December, 2005 with Shri Manoranjan Bhakta as its Chairman and Sarvashri Anant Gangaram Geete, Rasheed Masood, Rupchand Pal and Vijayendra Pal Singh as members. 3. On 28 December, 2005 the issue of alleged misuse of car park label by Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh, MP was referred to the sub-Committee for consideration and report to the Committee. 4. The Committee held two sittings and the sub-Committee held six sittings. The relevant minutes of its sittings form part of the Report and are appended hereto. 5. At its first sitting held on 2 January, 2006, the sub-Committee, inter-alia considered the matter regarding the complaint of alleged misuse of car park label by Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh, MP. The sub-Committee further directed the secretariat to prepare a Memorandum on the matter and circulate the same to all the members of the sub-Committee. The sub-Committee further directed that Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh, MP might be requested to appear before it for oral evidence at its next sitting. 6. At its second sitting held on 30 January, 2006, the sub-Committee took evidence of Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh, MP in the matter. The sub-Committee also decided that the concerned security officials/officers of Watch & Ward Office of Lok Sabha Secretariat be asked to appear before it for giving oral evidence in the matter at its next sitting to be held on 22 February, 2006. 7. At its third sitting held on 22 February, 2006 the sub-Committee examined on oath the following officers/officials of Watch & Ward Office of Lok Sabha Secretariat:— (i) Ms. Kanwaljeet Deol, Joint Secretary (Security) (ii) Shri Ravideep Singh Sahi, Joint Director (S) (iii) Shri R.C. Dhabla, Assistant Director (Security) 2 (iv) Shri P.K. Rai, Security Officer (v) Shri Kiran Kumar, Senior Security Guard 8. At its fourth sitting held on 17 March, 2006, the sub-Committee considered the draft report and adopted it. 9. On 18 March, 2006 the Chairman, sub-Committee of the Committee on Ethics presented the report to the Chairman, Committee on Ethics. 10. On 24 March, 2006, the Chairman, Committee on Ethics re-referred the matter to the sub-Committee for reconsideration. 11. At its fifth sitting held on 15 May, 2006 the sub-Committee reconsidered the matter and decided to hear Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh, MP again in the matter on 22 May, 2006. 12. At its sixth sitting held on 22 May, 2006 the sub-Committee took evidence of Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh, MP. The sub-Committee deliberated upon the matter, arrived at its conclusions and authorized the Chairman to modify the report accordingly and present the same to the Chairman, Committee on Ethics. 13. At their second sitting held on 23 August, 2006, the Committee considered and adopted the Report of the sub-Commitee. II. Facts of the case 14. On 18 August, 2005, Deputy Director (Security), Parliament House Annexe made the following report to the Joint Director (Security), Parliament House Annexe:— “On 16th August, 2005 a fake label was intercepted by Shri Kiran Kumar, Senior Security Guard who was on duty at MP's self-driven parking area. This label was pasted on a Mercedez vehicle No. DL-6C-3124, which was brought by Shri Vijayendra Pal Singh, MP Lok Sabha.” “Shri R.C. Dabhla, Assistant Director (Security) and Shri P.K. Rai Security Officer (Who) were asked to clarify about the aforesaid incident...........have submitted.............. that: (a) Hon'ble MP was apprised about the use of a fake label on the vehicle being used by him. (b) Hon'ble MP explained that his original car (No. DDY-97) is under repair. He is using his second car, i.e. DL-6C-3124. He also added that since only one 'P' label is being issued to MPs, hence he has got the original 'P' label copied to get entry of his vehicle. (c) ........Hon'ble MP was informed that he had violated the security rules. (d) The MP assured that he will immediately remove the label and also destroy the same. 3 He further assured that in future he will not let the rules be violated and thus he left." 15. The Joint Director (Security), in his report dated 22 August, 2005, to the Joint Secretary (Security) submitted as follows:— “The number on the label was also changed. In addition, to give genuine look to the colour photocopy of original label a hologram like sticker which is normally attached with under-vests (Baniyans) etc. was affixed on the space meant for hologram.” 16. When the matter was brought to the notice of the Speaker, Lok Sabha on 28 September, 2005, he directed that an enquiry be conducted as to how the car in question entered the Parliament House complex without a proper label or RF (Radio Frequency) tag. 17. The Joint Secretary (Security), in her report dated 4 October, 2005 reported as follows:— “RF Tags in the first instance have been issued to the vehicles of Hon'ble Members and official vehicles of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Rajya Sabha Secretariat and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Entry into Parliament House from Iron Gate-1, Iron Gate-2, Parliament House as well as Talkatora Road near Ambedkar Statue is on the basis of these RF Tags. Only vehicles issued with authorized RF Tags are allowed entry from the boom barriers. In case a vehicle does not have a valid RF Tag, the parking label is checked and the identity of the occupants is verified before allowing them access. The entry to the PHA and PLB is through gates at both the ends of Talkatora Road and MEG-III on Parliament Street. Electronic gadgets have been installed on both sides of Talkatora Road. However most of the vehicles entering PHA and PLB have not been issued with RF Tags and entry is being regulated on the basis of parking labels. Coloured parking labels are being issued to the staff members. As a security measure the vehicle number is written in black ink in the space earmarked on the parking label and a hologram is also pasted. In the instant case, it appears that a colour photograph of the parking label was made by placing a slip of white paper over the registration number. After the photocopy was made, the registration number of the new vehicle was written in the blank space. Similarly at the place where the original hologram has been fixed there was a black spot. The new hologram of a popular brand of vest was fixed exactly on the same spot. As hundreds of vehicles enter into PH at peak hour, it is very difficult to verify the genuineness of each label as it will take 15-30 seconds leading to traffic congestion. However an additional security precaution is taken that once that label is identified the vehicle is permitted only after identifying the occupants. In the instant case, the vehicle was being personally driven by Hon'ble member who was identified by the staff and as the label looked genuine, entry was allowed.