It refers to usual formality of conferring annual honour of Best-Parliamentarian on one of the senior parliamentarians which till now has been either a former or present minister or a leader of an opposition-group as if only floor-leaders or frontbench members are eligible to be honoured with Best Parliamentarian award. So-termed Best Parliamentarians are now selected together for five years from the year 2013 to the year 2017 by including five senior Parliamentarians namely Najma Heptulla (BJP), Hukumdev Narain Yadav (BJP), Gulam Nabi Azad (Congress), Dinesh Trivedi (TMC) and Bhrithari Mahtab (BJD) from four different parties as per please all policy. Same tactics is being adopted earlier by selecting three Best-Parliamentarians together for the years 2007 to 2009 and then from 2010 to 2012. Big question is why these awards are not awarded each year rather than being clubbed for three years just for unanimity.
If the Parliamentary Committee set up for the purpose really wants to motivate members to be good parliamentarians, it should select the awardee through a properly drafted computerized system by a point-system for various qualities required in an ideal Parliamentarian. Rather new and young Parliamentarians should be encouraged for better performance by giving them preference for being selected as Best Parliamentarian on regular basis rather accumulating awards for more than one year.
MADHU AGRAWAL