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Rules & Procedure
Rules and Procedure relating to an Adjournment Motion
on any sitting day after adjournment of the sittings of the
House
The Committee on Parliamentary Business has agreed upon a procedure
to take up an adjournment motion for the duration of one hour
at the time of adjournment each sitting day. A Member wishing
to give notice of an adjournment motion must do so in writing
the previous day to the Secretary-General of Parliament through
the office of the Leader of the House or the Leader of Opposition
to which he belongs. Such motions will be taken up at the time
of adjournment i.e. at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursday and at 12.00 noon on Friday.
Once such notice is received by the Secretary-General of Parliament,
a copy is sent to the Secretary to the Leader of the House to
enable him to forward same to the Ministry concerned for necessary
action, specially to inform the Minister to be present in the
House to reply and to help him to be sufficiently aware of the
motion. Only one adjournment motion is entertained each day.
However, the Speaker has powers to disallow a motion in view
of an inquiry pending in courts with regard to the contents
of the motion, or repetition of similar motion in the same session
of the Parliament etc.
Once the adjournment motion is moved by the Member it should
be seconded by another Member. After the debate, the Minister
concerned has to reply. For the debate 30 minutes are allocated
for the Government and 30 minutes are allocated for the Opposition.
No vote is allowed on adjournment debates. The above method
has been adopted since 1995. Earlier, it had been the practice
to ask 10 questions on matters of urgent public importance after
the adjournment.
Adjournment Motions taken up with the agreement of the
Committee on Parliamentary Business
Adjournment Motions are also taken up with the agreement of
the committee on Parliamentary Business. Such motions are taken
up for durations to be decided by the said committee.
Utility of Adjournment Motion
It is a very useful method for private Members to attract the
attention of the whole House to an issue of urgent public importance
at short notice and to urge the Minister concerned to take prompt
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