MPs get Rs 1000 as sitting allowance per day and as per existing provisions they get it once they sign the daily register. Even on days when they disrupt proceedings of the house, MPs sign the register and claim the allowance.

At a meeting of the panel of chairmen — 10 MPs who fill in for the Speaker in his absence — called today, Chatterjee suggested these changes. He will now take up the proposal with leaders from all political parties who are expected to oppose it.

Sumitra Mahajan, L N Pandey (BJP) Mohan Singh (SP), D P Yadav (RJD),Giridhar Gamang, Bala Saheb Vikhe Patil, Krishna Tirth (Congress), Arjun Charan Sethi (BJD) and Varkala Radhakrishnan of the CPM were present in today’s meeting.

The Speaker has also suggested invoking some sections of the rules of parliament proceedings, which are rarely used. Rule number 373, for example, says the Speaker may “direct any member whose conduct is, in his opinion, grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the House...and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day’s sitting.” Rule 374 A provides for “automatic suspension of a member,” for “grave disorder occasioned by a member coming into the well of the House or abusing the Rules of the House persistently and wilfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans or otherwise.”

Wastage of parliamentary time is an increasingly serious problem. A recent study by a civil society organization found that in the 13th Lok Sabha, time lost due to disruptions was 22.4 per cent while in the 14th Lok Sabha which commenced in June 2004, it went up to 26 per cent. Each minute of Parliament costs about Rs 26,035.