3. COMMITTEE SECTION (COPLOT) 3.1 Functions: The main function of the Committee Section (COPLOT) is to provide secretarial assistance to the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table, Rajya Sabha. The Section consists of one Assistant Director, one Committee Officer, One Research Assistant and Two Senior Clerks. The work of the Section is supervised by the Joint Secretary, Director and Joint Director respectively in-charge of the Section, The Section assists the Committee in its mandated functions, viz: - a) Examining the Annual Reports and Audited Accounts of Government Companies Public Sector Undertakings, bodies created by an Act of Parliament, Cooperatives, Institutes and Societies framed and financed by the Government. Nearly 1325 such Organisations/Government Companies, etc., are under the purview of the Committee; b) Ensuring that all the Papers/Government Notifications, complete in all respects, are laid within the time prescribed by the relevant statutes and also in compliance with the provisions of the Acts governing laying of papers of these organisations; and c) Monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee set out in various reports of the Committee. Mandate of the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table under rule 212 H– After a paper is laid before the Council by a Minister, the Committee considers:- (a) Whether there has been compliance with the provisions of the Constitution or the Act of Parliament or any other law, rule or regulation in pursuance of which the paper has been so laid; (b) Whether there has been any unreasonable delay in laying the paper before the Council and if so, (i) whether a statement explaining the reasons for such delay has also been laid before the Council along with the paper, and (ii) whether those reasons are satisfactory; (c) Whether the paper has been laid before the Council both in English and Hindi and if not, (i) whether a statement explaining the reasons for not laying the paper in Hindi has also been laid before the Council along with the paper, and (ii) whether those reasons are satisfactory. In addition to the abovementioned functions, the Committee performs such other functions in respect of the papers laid on the Table as may be assigned to it by the Chairman from time to time. 3.2 Composition of the present Committee: The present Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri Tariq Anwar, M.P. on 29th September, 2010, The Committee consists of ten Members nominated by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha. The names of Members of the Committee are as under: - COMMITTEE ON PAPERS LAID ON THE TABLE (COPLOT), RAJYA SABHA (Constituted on the 29.09.2010) *1. Shri Tariq Anwar – Chairman **2. Shri Mukut Mithi 3. Dr. E. M. Sudarsana Natchiappan 4. Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho **5. Shri Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala **6. Shrimati Kusum Rai 7. Shrimati Gundu Sudharani **8. Shri Derek O Brien 9. Dr. Barun Mukherji 10. Dr. Ashok S. Ganguly 24 3.3 Performance of the Committee Section during the year under review: i) Meetings: During the year 2012, the Committee Section arranged Eleven meetings of the Committee. The details of the meetings are as under: - S. Date of Subject Evidence, if any Duration No. Meeting taken Hrs. Mts. 2 3 4 1. 16.01.2012 1.) The Committee considered two 0.40 Memoranda No. 9/2011 and 10/2011 relating to Action Taken Replies on the recommendations contained in 130th & 133rd Reports. 2.) The Committee also considered a Memorandum No. 11/2011 on delayed laying of AR/AAs of Lakshadweep Building Development Board (LBDB), Kavaratti. 2. 31.01.2012 1.) Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of Textiles 1.15 Audited Accounts of Handicrafts and Handlooms Exports Corporation of India Ltd. (HHEC), New Delhi and Ministry of Culture 2.) Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. 3. 10.02.2012 Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of Women 0.40 Audited Accounts of Central Adoption and Child Resource Authority, New Delhi. Development 4. 07.3.2012 1.) Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of Social 1.40 Audited Accounts of National Institute of Justice and Social Defence, New Delhi Empowerment and 2) Medical Council of India, New Delhi. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 5. 17.05.2012 Welcome of nominated members and 0.40 discussion on its future programme. -- 6. 31.05.2012 1.) Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of Youth 1.30 Audited Accounts of Organising Committee Affairs and Sports of the Commonwealth Games, 2010, New Delhi and Ministry of 2.) Indian Institute of Mass Communication Information and (IIMC), New Delhi. Broadcasting 7. 8.06.2012 1.) Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of Social 1.00 Audited Accounts on the working of Justice and Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, Empowerment 2.) The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled -do- Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act., 1989 and 3.) Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of Coal Audited Accounts of Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO), Dhanbad, Jharkhand. 8. 13.07.2012 Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Planning 0.45 Audited Accounts of Institute of Applied Commission, Manpower Research (IAMR), New Delhi. Government of India * Resigned from the Chairmanship of the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table w.e.f 9th November, 2012. ** Nominated w.e.f. 09.5.2012 in place of Shri G. Sanjeeva Reddy, Shri Vijaykumar Rupani, Shri K.B. Shanappa & Shri Mahmood A. Madani. 25 9. 01.08.2012 1.) Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of 1.25 Audited Accounts of Padmaja Naidu Environment and Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling and Forests 2.) Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Ministry of Human (RMSA) for all States and UTs. Resource Development (School Education and Literacy) 10. 04.09.2012 1.) Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of Corporate 0.40 Audited Accounts and on the Working and Affairs Administration of the Companies Act, 1956 and 2.) The Committee also considered Action Taken Replies furnished by the Ministry of - HRD and Women and Child Development on 129th & 138th Reports of the Committee. 11. 19.10.2012 Delayed laying of Annual Reports and Ministry of 1.00 Audited Accounts of National Council for Agriculture Cooperative Training (NCCT), New Delhi. ii) Extension of time limit: During the year 2012, 392 requests from the Ministries for grant of extension of time for laying the Annual Reports/Audited Accounts of Government Companies/Organisations were received in the Section. In such cases where there was prolong and persistent delay in laying the reports, the Committee heard the representatives of Ministries and Organizations by inviting them for oral evidence before the Committee. The Section also took follow up action to ensure compliance of the above directions. iii) Study Visits/local visits undertaken by the Committee: The Committee undertook study and local visits as per details given below: - S. Date of visits Company/Organisation visited No. 1 10th February, 2012 (i) Kumarkurupa Frontier Hotels Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi 2 (i) Cashew Export Promotion Council of India, Kochi Study Visit to Kochi and (ii) Lakshadweep Development Corporation Ltd . (LDCL), Kavaratti. Lakshadweep from 23rd to th (iii) Lakshadweep Building Development Board, Kavaratti. 26 February, 2012 (iv) Lakshadweep Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan State Mission Authority, Lakshadweep. (v) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and Kochi Refineries Ltd., Kochi 3 31st May 2012 Delhi Development Authority, New Delhi 4 18th September, 2012 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., New Delhi In the process, the Committee Section made arrangements for travel and stay of members during the meetings with concerned organisations, and also prepared background material in connection with Study Visit. 3.4 Reports of the Committee presented to Rajya Sabha: The Committee has presented its three reports to the House during the year, as per the following details: S. Date of Subject Report No. Presentation No. 1. 24.8.2012 Laying of the Annual Reports and Audited Accounts of Maharashtra 140th Agro Industries Development Corporation Ltd. (MAIDC), Mumbai; Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), Goa; and Goa Meat Complex Limited (GMCL), Panjim. 26 2. 24.8.2012 Laying of the Annual Reports and Audited 141st Accounts of Rajghat Samadhi Committee (RSC), New Delhi; Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), New Delhi; and Kumarakruppa Frontier Hotels Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. 3. 24.8.2012 Laying of the Annual Reports and Audited Accounts of Handicrafts 142nd and Handlooms Exports Corporation of India Ltd., New Delhi; Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), Mumbai and Lakshadweep Building Development Board (LBDB), Kavaratti. 3.5 Goals of the Section: The Section ensures examination of the papers Laid on the Table of the Rajya Sabha in accordance with Chapter XVII-B of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States; the rules for internal working of the Committee; and the recommendations/decisions of the Committee contained in its various reports. 3.6 Analysis of the work done: An analysis of the work done during the year 2012 shows that this Section did all the work assigned to it promptly, efficiently and in time. The preceding paras give a glimpse of the work done by the Section during the year 2012. It may also be stated that the Section maintained and updated the position regarding laying of the Annual Reports and Audited Accounts of various Government Companies/Organisations in the Committee Software and took up for examination the cases where there was delay in the laying of the papers. The Review of Action Plan for the period January to October, 2012 was done by the concerned officers and the Status Report was sent to the O&M Section. Annual Reports & Audited Accounts laid on the Table of the Rajya Sabha during the year 2012 were examined and put up on files.