Parliament of India Rajya Sabha SECTIONAL MANUAL OF OFFICE PROCEDURE (SMOP) COUNCIL BRANCH Rajya Sabha Secretariat (Council Branch) June, 2010 Parliament of India Rajya Sabha SECTIONAL MANUAL OF OFFICE PROCEDURE (SMOP) COUNCIL BRANCH (Table Office, Notice Office & Lobby Office) Rajya Sabha Secretariat September, 2010 First Edition September, 2010 Rajya Sabha Secretariat http://parliamentofindia.nic.in email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Price: `115@& PREFACE Sectional Manuals of Office Procedure (SMOPs) for various Sections/Units in this Secretariat are being brought out for the first time to provide an overview of working of different Sections/Units in the Secretariat and Section specific procedure adopted therein for disposal of work. SMOP of the Council Branch is a part of this exercise. The publication provides the procedure followed in disposal of various items of work dealt by the Table Office, Notice Office and Lobby Office. This publication is intended to serve as a guide for the staff and officers dealing with the day-to-day functioning of the Council Branch. 2. Care has been taken to make the Manual comprehensive and up to date. It is hoped that the publication would be found useful by all those who are associated with the various aspects of the working of the Council Branch. 3. This publication is primarily for internal use in the Secretariat. Suggestions for improvement of this publication are welcome. New Delhi; V. K. AGNIHOTRI, September, 2010 SECRETARY-GENERAL. CONTENTS PART-I TABLE OFFICE PAGE NO. Chapter 1: Main Responsibilities of Table Office................................................................................................... 1-2 Chapter 2: List of Business 2.1 Definition and Statutory Provisions............................................................................................. 3 2.2 Procedure regarding preparation of List of Business ................................................................... 3-4 2.3 Order of preferences of various items of Business ...................................................................... 4 2.4 Separate List for Papers to be laid on the Table ........................................................................... 5 2.5 Items that are taken up without an entry in the List of Business ................................................. 5 2.6 Arrangement of Government Business ........................................................................................ 5 2.7 Officer authorized to issue List of Business.................................................................................5 2.8 Supplementary List of Business................................................................................................... 5-6 2.9 Hindi version of List of Business ................................................................................................. 6 2.10 Finalisation of Hindi and English versions of the List of Business for printing........................... 6 2.11 Uploading of the Lists of Business on the Rajya Sabha Website ................................................ 6 Chapter 3: Papers to be laid on the Table 3.1 Constitution and Statutory Provisions ........................................................................................7 3.2 Broad Procedure for laying papers/documents on the Table of the House ................................. 7-8 3.3 Guidelines for Ministries/Departments with regard to paper laying............................................. 8-9 3.4 Laying Items from other Sections ................................................................................................ 9 3.5 Procedure for preparation of List of Papers to be laid on the Table ............................................. 9-10 3.6 Procedure regarding sensitive Notifications ................................................................................ 10 3.7 Laying procedure of papers regarding important Government policy during Inter-Session ........ 10 3.8 Hindi version of the List of Papers to be Laid .............................................................................. 10 3.9 Finalisation of Hindi and English versions of the List of Papers to be laid on the Table for printing ......................................................................................................................................... 10-11 3.10 Uploading of List of Papers to be laid on the Table on the Rajya Sabha Website ....................... 11 3.11 Laying of Papers by Private Members ......................................................................................... 11 Chapter 4: Memorandum of Business 4.1 Definition ..................................................................................................................................... 12 4.2 Procedure for preparation of the Memorandum of Business ....................................................... 12 4.3 Other documents/papers to be placed in the Folder .................................................................... 12-13 4.4 Updation of Folder in the morning of the day of sitting............................................................... 13 Chapter 5: Parliamentary Bulletin—Part I 5.1 Definition and statutory provisions ............................................................................................. 14 5.2 Procedure for preparation of Bulletin—Part I ............................................................................... 14 5.3 Finalisation of Hindi and English versions of the Bulletin for printing ........................................ 14 5.4 Uploading of the Bulletin on the Rajya Sabha Website ............................................................... 14 5.5 Binding of Parliamentary Bulletin—Part I .................................................................................... 14 Chapter 6: Obituary References and References by the Chair 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 15 6.2 Obituary Reference ...................................................................................................................... 15-16 (i) (ii) PAGE NO. 6.3 References from the Chair on tragic happenings and on solemn or significant occasions .......... 16 6.4 Felicitations/Tribute and Homage ................................................................................................ 16 6.5 Welcome to Foreign Parliamentary Delegations........................................................................... 17 Chapter 7: Statement by Minister 7.1 Statutory Provisions .................................................................................................................... 18 7.2 Procedure for processing Statements by Ministers ..................................................................... 18 7.3 Statements regarding status of implementation of recommendations contained in Reports of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees ............................................................. 18 7.4 Statements to correct inaccuracies ............................................................................................... 18 7.5 Statements in response to Calling Attention ................................................................................ 18 Chapter 8: Minutes Book of the Council 8.1 Minutes Book .............................................................................................................................. 19 8.2 Duty Roster .................................................................................................................................. 19 Chapter 9: Parliamentary Bulletin—Part II 9.1 Statutory Provisions .................................................................................................................... 20 9.2 Processing of items received for publication in Bulletin—Part-II ................................................ 20 9.3 Paras issued by the Section on the eve of every Session ............................................................ 20 9.4 Uploading of Bulletin—Part II on the Rajya Sabha Website ........................................................ 20 9.5 Binding of Bulletin—Part II .......................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 10: Vacation of Seats in the Rajya Sabha 10.1 Reasons for vacation of seats ...................................................................................................... 21 10.2 Resignation of Member ................................................................................................................ 21 10.3 Death of a Member ....................................................................................................................... 21 10.4 Retirement on expiration of Term of Office ................................................................................... 21 10.5 Election of a Member to the other House or State Legislature ..................................................... 22 10.6 Declaration of election of a Member as void by the Court ........................................................... 22 10.7 Adoption of a Motion by the House expelling the Member ........................................................ 22 10.8 Election of a Member to the Office of President, Vice-President or Governor of a State .............. 22 10.9 Absence