Ethics Committees to go into Ramesh''s complaint

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Ethics Committees of theLok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will now go into EnvironmentMinister Jairam Ramesh''s complaint about MPs lobbying forprojects in which they have vested interests.

Speaker Meira Kumar has now referred the matter to theCommittee while Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari had did solast month itself.

Ramesh had last month written to the PresidingOfficers of both the Houses of Parliament in this regard.

The Minister had complained to them about allegedviolation of norms by MPs approaching him with matters ofcompanies they are running or associated with and raisingissues related to projects that do not fall in theirconstituencies.

He had also urged them to dissuade MPs from meetingofficials directly, saying such meetings were often used toput pressure on the ministry.

"This is a blatant violation of norms. I have tried todiscourage this but have not entirely succeeded," Ramesh hadcontended.

Ramesh also said he also found objectionable MPsapproaching him and pleading for or against projects that areneither in their state nor in their constituency.