V-P to MPs: Don't be guests of PSUs

NEW DELHI: Vice-President BhaironSingh Shekhawat, who completes two years on Thursday as chairman of the RajyaSabha, is of the view that members of the parliamentary committees should notburden the PSUs when they visit them to study theirfunctioning.Talking to TOI Shekhawat said, "They should refrain fromavailing hospitality extended by the PSUs and all arrangements should be made bythe parliament secretariat."Shekawat has been in public life forover half a century. Before joining politics in Rajasthan, he started his careerwith the state police. He is considered to be a "no-nonsense"chairman. He is also said that the Upper House should refrain from discussingproceedings of any legislative assembly or decisions of itsSpeaker.Once when members were highly agitated on the issue ofproceedings of Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly and sought a debate, Shekhawatsaid he was firm that neither the House nor he had any right to question theproceedings of an assembly."Members of the House of Elders have toset standards for others to follow. The Rajya Sabha, as an ideal parliamentaryinstitution in a federal set-up, will become an apex forum to articulate India''sdemocratic ethos and become a role model to be emulated by the statelegislature, panchayati raj institutions and local bodies," hesaid.As part of an exercise to ensure smooth functioning of theHouse, Shekhawat had formed an "informal group" with defence minister PranabMukherjee as the convener.