16 COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES (2010-2011) (FIFTEENTH LOK SABHA) SIXTEENTH REPORT REQUESTS FOR DROPPING OF ASSURANCES Presented to Lok Sabha on 30 August, 2011 LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI August, 2011/Bhadrapada, 1933 (Saka) CONTENTS PAGE Composition of the Committee (2010-2011) iii Introduction iv Report 1-3 Appendix-I Requests for dropping of Assurances (Acceded to) 1. Unstarred Question Nos. 2747 dated 11 August, 2005 regarding 4-5 Reservation in Armed Forces, Judiciary & Autonomous Bodies. 2. Starred Question No. 171 dated 11 March, 2008 regarding Free Trade Agreement between Indian and EU. 3. Unstarred Question No. 904 dated 23 October, 2008 & Starred Question No. 59 dated 11 November, 2010 regarding Iran-Pakistan-India (IPL) Gas Pipeline Project & Indo-Iran Gas Pipeline Project. 4. Unstarred Question No. 3000 dated 24 July, 2009 regarding Metro Rail Projects. 5. Unstarred Question No. 3997 dated 31 July, 2009 regarding Additional Power Generation by NTPC. 6. Unstarred Question No. 4483 dated 4 August, 2009 regarding “Connectivity of Ports with Highways”, 7. Starred Question No. 3 dated 19 November, 2009 regarding Revival of NTC Mills. 8. Unstarred Question No. 2350 dated 3 December, 2009 regarding Appointment of Judges. 9. Unstarred Question No. 2969 dated 8 December, 2009 regarding Construction of Express Highways. 10. Unstarred Question No. 1971 dated 9 March, 2010 regarding Special Recruitment Drive for IPS. 11. Starred Question No. 193 dated 10 March, 2010 and Unstarred Question No. 2051 dated 10 March, 2010 regarding Improvement of Public Libraries and Setting up of Central Library Fund. 12. Unstarred Question No. 2065 dated 10 March, 2010 regarding Indo-Nepal Treaty. 13. Unstarred Question No. 4479 dated 22 April, 2010 regarding Preservation of Minority Languages. 14. Unstarred Question No. 926 dated 30 July, 2010 regarding Real Estate under GST. 15. Unstarred Question No. 2311 dated 9 August, 2010 regarding Induction of AWACS. 16. Unstarred Question No. 2318 dated 9 August, 2010 regarding Procurement of Sukhoi aircraft. 17. Unstarred Question No. 15 dated 9 November, 2010 regarding New Consumer Law. 18. Unstarred Question No. 601 dated 11 November, 2010 regarding Airports in Madhya Pradesh. 19. Unstarred Question No. 2184 dated 23 November, 2010 regarding Upgradation of NHs. 20. Unstarred Question No. 2652 dated 25 November, 2010 regarding Free Legal Assistance. Appendix-II I Minutes of the Sitting of the Committee held on 21 July, 2011. II Minutes of the Sitting of the Committee held on 23 August, 2011. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES* (2010 - 2011) Shrimati Maneka Gandhi - Chairperson MEMBERS 2. Shri Anandrao Adsul 3. Shri Avtar Singh Bhadana 4. Shri Dara Singh Chauhan 5. Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar 6. Shri Mohan Jena 7. Shri Raghuvir Singh Meena 8. Shri Bishnu Pada Ray 9. Shri K.J.S.P. Reddy 10. Shri M. Rajamohan Reddy 11. Shri Takam Sanjoy 12. Rajkumari Ratna Singh 13. Dr. M. Thambidurai 14. Shri Manohar Tirkey 15. Shri Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav SECRETARIAT 1. Shri P. Sreedharan - Additional Secretary 2. Shri R.S. Kambo - Director 3. Shri D.S. Malha - Additional Director 4. Shri Kulvinder Singh - Committee Officer * The Committee was constituted on 23 September, 2010 vide Para No. 1948 of Lok Sabha Bulletin Part-II dated 22 September, 2010. INTRODUCTION I, the Chairperson of the Committee on Government Assurances, having been authorized by the Committee to submit the Report on their behalf, present this Sixteenth Report of the Committee on Government Assurances. 2. The Committee (2010-2011) at their sitting held on 21 July, 2011 considered Memoranda Nos. 47 to 87 respectively containing requests received from the Ministries/Departments for dropping of pending assurances. 3. At their sitting held on 23 August, 2011, the Committee (2010-2011) considered and adopted their Sixteenth Report. 4. The Minutes of the aforesaid sitting of the Committee form part of this report. 5. For facility of reference and convenience, the observations and recommendations of the Committee have been printed in bold letters in the Report. NEW DELHI; 23 August; 2011 MANEKA GANDHI ---------------------------- CHAIRPERSON 1 Bhadrapada, 1933 (Saka) COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES REPORT While replying to Questions in the House or during discussions on Bills, Resolutions, Motions, etc., Ministers sometimes give assurances, undertakings or promises either to consider a matter, take action or furnish information to the House at some later date. An assurance is required to be implemented by the Ministry concerned within a period of three months. Where a Ministry are unable to implement the assurances within the prescribed period of three months, they are required to seek extension of time. In case, the Ministry finds it difficult in implementing the assurances on one ground or the other, they are required to approach the Committee on Government Assurances requesting to drop the assurances. Such requests are considered by the Committee on merits and decisions taken to drop an assurance or otherwise. 2. The Committee on Government Assurances (2010-11) considered the following requests received from Ministries/Departments for dropping of assurances at their sitting held on 21 July, 2011:- SQ/USQ No. & Ministry Subject in Brief Date USQ 2747 dated Social Justice and Reservation in Armed Forces, 11.8.2005 Empowerment Judiciary and Autonomous Bodies. SQ 171 Commerce & Free Trade Agreement between dated 11.3.2008 Industry India and EU. (i) USQ 904 Petroleum and Iran-Pakistan-India (IPL) Gas dated 23.10.2008 Natural Gas Pipeline Project. (ii) SQ 59 Indo-Iran Gas Pipeline Project. dated 11.11.2010 USQ 3000 dated Urban Development Metro Rail Projects. 24.7.2009 USQ 3997 dated Power Additional Power Generation 31.7.2009 by NTPC. USQ 4483 dated Road Transport & Connectivity of Ports with 4.8.2009 Highways Highways. SQ 3 dated Textiles Revival of NTC Mills. 19.11.2009 USQ 2350 dated Law & Justice Appointment of Judges. 3.12.2009 USQ 2969 dated Road Transport & Construction of Express 8.12.2009 Highways Highways. USQ 1971 Home Affairs Special Recruitment Drive for dated 9.3.2010 IPS. (i) SQ 193 dated Culture Improvement of Public 10.3.2010 Libraries. (ii) USQ 2051 Setting up of Central Library dated 10.3.2010 Fund. USQ 2065 dated External Affairs Indo-Nepal Treaty 10.3.2010 USQ 4479 dated Minority Affairs Preservation of Minority 22.4.2010 Languages. USQ 926 dated Finance Real Estate under GST. 30.7.2010 USQ 2311 dated Defence Induction of AWACS. 9.8.2010 USQ 2318 dated Defence Procurement of Sukhoi Aircraft. 9.8.2010 USQ 15 Consumer Affairs, New Consumer Law. dated 9.11.2010 Food and Public Distribution USQ 601 Civil Aviation Airports in Madhya Pradesh. Dated 11.11.2010 USQ 2184 dated Road, Transport & Upgradation of NHs. 23.11.2010 Highways USQ 2652 Law and Justice Free legal assistance. Dated 25.11.2010 3. The details of the assurances arising out of the replies and the reason(s) advanced for dropping of assurances are given in Appendix-I. 4. After having considered the grounds cited by the Ministries/Departments, the Committee were convinced and decided to drop the aforesaid assurances. 5. The Minutes of the sitting of the Committee, whereunder the decision to drop the assurances were taken, are given in Appendix-II. NEW DELHI; 23 August; 2011 MANEKA GANDHI ---------------------------- CHAIRPERSON 1 Bhadrapada, 1933 (Saka) COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES Appendix-I (vide Para 3 of the Report) [i] RESERVATION IN ARMED FORCES, JUDICIARY AND AUTONOMOUS BODIES On 11 August, 2005 Shri Manjunath Kunnur, M.P., addressed an Unstarred Question No. 2747 to the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. The contents of the question along with the reply of the Minister are as given in Annexure. 2. The reply to the question was treated as an assurance and required to be implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment within three months of the date of the reply but the assurance is yet to be implemented. 3. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment vide O.M. No. 16012/02/2005-RIC dated 04 March, 2011 and 06 June, 2011 have requested to drop the assurance on the following grounds:- “That no assurance has been given in answer to the question, it is requested that the decision of the Committee on Government Assurances, Lok Sabha in regard to deletion of the assurance may kindly be conveyed to this Ministry at the earliest." 4. In view of the above, the Ministry, with the approval of the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, have requested to drop the above assurance. Annexure GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2747 ANSWERED ON 11.8.2005 RESERVATION IN ARMED FORCES, JUDICIARY AND AUTONOMOUS BODIES 2747. SHRI MANJUNATH KUNNUR Will the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment be pleased to state:- (a) whether the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has sought reservation in armed forces, judiciary and autonomous bodies; (b) if so, the details of recommendations given by the Commission in this regard; and (c) the reaction of the Union Government thereto? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT(SMT. SUBBULAKSHMI JAGADEESAN) (a) to (c) There National Commission for Scheduled Castes, set-up in February, 2004 has not submitted any report containing recommendations. [ii] FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN INDIA AND EU On 11 March, 2008 Shri Ballashowry Vallabhaneni, M.P, addressed a Starred Question No. 171 to the Minister of Commerce and Industry. The contents of the question along with the reply of the Minister are as given in Annexure. 2. The reply to the question was treated as an assurance and required to be implemented by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry within three months of the date of the reply but the assurance is yet to be implemented.