Dasgupta protests Labour Minister Rao's absence in LS

New Delhi, Aug 17 (UNI) Amid strong protests from the CPI, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today deferred till August 23 a calling attention motion due to the absence of Labour Minister K Chandrashekar Rao owing to illness.

Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and three CPI(M) members had given notice for raising the attention of the Labour Minister to the situation arising from violation of various labour laws and the issue was listed for the day's agenda.

Immediately after the question hour was over and a paper listed for the day was laid on the table of the House, the Speaker said Mr Rao had telephoned him and requested that the call attention be deferred till August 23 as he was not well.

Mr Dasgupta said this was not fair as the MPs, the three others being Mr Amitava Nandy, Mr Basudeb Acharia and Mr Sunil Khan, were to get a chance to raise the issue after a ''long wait.'' At this, the Speaker said no one could avoid illness just because he was a Minister.

As Mr Dasgupta, who had earlier during the current monsoon session taken exception to Mr Rao remaining absent from the House for a long time, continued to argue on the issue, Mr Chatterjee said, ''I have no reason to disbelieve him (the Minister).'' The Speaker said Mr Rao had assured him that he would come to the House on August 23. ''Let us not question the bonafide of members. I am conscious I am responsible,'' he said.

Earlier, Mr Dasgupta had objected to other Ministers tabling papers listed against the name of Mr Rao and wondered why the Minister was avoiding the House.

The Left members want to raise the issue, particularly the violation of the Industrial Disputes Act, the Minimum Wages Act, the Factories Act, the Trade Union Act, the Provident Funds Act and the Employees State Insurance Act and the steps taken by the government in this regard.

UNI SN VA GC1412