Be alert during proceedings else will forego chance to ask questions: LS speaker to MPs

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday asked members to be alert during House proceedings or else, he said, they will lose the opportunity to ask supplementary questions during the Question Hour.

Birla said this after Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was unable to respond to the speaker's call on time.

During the Question Hour, a question posed by Badal related to Punjab was listed in the agenda for discussion.

When Birla took Badal's name for a few times, she failed to respond in time as she was apparently busy talking to a fellow member.

At this, the speaker decided to move on to the next question.

Soon after, the Shiromani Akali Dal MP responded and urged the speaker to allow her to raise the issue.

"I have called your name thrice. But you were busy in talking. You have to be alert when your question is listed. I want to tell all Honourable members that if you don't pay attention to the proceedings, you will not get the chance to raise issues," Birla said.

The speaker also told members that if they want to ask any supplementary question of any listed question, they should submit their names to his office by 10.30 am of that particular day.

"I will try to accommodate your request if it relates to your respective state. But that does not mean that you will certainly get the chance to ask any supplementary," he said.

Birla, however, later allowed Badal to raise the relevant issue and ask the supplementary question.

The first hour of the Lok Sabha proceedings, called the Question Hour, is reserved for MPs to ask any question of public importance.

The member whose question is listed in the agenda is allowed to ask two supplementary questions. Other members can maximum ask one supplementary.