Speaker of Lok Sabha

Speaker of Lok Sabha

Context: In a session marked by four straight days of disruption, heightened aggression, bitter fights and deepening divides, the Lok Sabha, according to Speaker Om Birla, has seen “record productivity” over the past three days.

Concept:

• Amidst the frequent disruptions, running to well and decline in parliamentary productivity the role of speaker of Lok Sabha as the chairperson becomes significant.
• The speaker of Lok Sabha is the chair person or presiding officer.
• The members of Lok Sabha elect speaker and deputy speaker from among its members after elections or when vacancy exists.
• To maintain independence of the office of speaker his salary on the consolidated Fund of India and the same is not subject to vote of Parliament.
• He is sixth in the Order of Precedence of Government of India.
• The speaker decides the agenda of discussions and has a casting vote (vote not in first place, but, only if tie exist).
• The Committees of the House function under the overall direction of the Speaker. He nominates the chairpersons of the committee.
• Committees like the Business Advisory Committee, the General Purposes Committee and the Rules Committee work directly under her Chairmanship
• The speaker has the power to adjourn or suspend the house/meetings if the quorum is not met. The Speaker ensures the discipline and decorum of the house. If the speaker finds the behaviour and a member of Parliament is not good, he/she can punish the unruly members by suspending.
• The Speaker of Lok Sabha does not leave the office just after dissolution of the assembly. He continues to be in the office till the newly formed assembly takes its first meeting and elects the new Speaker.
• The final power to decide whether a particular bill is a Money Bill or not is vested in the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker of Lok Sabha presides over the joint sitting of both the Houses.

Removal from office:

• If no more a member of house; resigns by writing to deputy speaker; he is of unsound mind declared so by the court of law; if he is declared undischarged insolvent; if he is no longer the citizen of India;
• He is removed from the post of Speaker by passing a resolution by majority of the members of Lok Sabha. This is to note that during resolution for removal of Speaker, the Speaker is not in position to cast his vote even if there is tie.