UPA made timely reply norm after BJP MP complained to Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: It was UPA government which read out the riot act to ministries, five times, for timely replies to letters from MPs, warning officials of punishment after complaints from a BJP MP reached the door of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

HRD minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday referred to a letter from then personnel minister V Narayanasamy to all ministers on May 5, 2011, saying officials were reiterated rules that MP letters be replied to within 30 days — which she said made her ministry send reminders to Hyderabad Central University both in cases of letters written to her by labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Congress MP Hanumantha Rao. "We have been receiving references from MPs regarding delay in responding to their letters. This issue has been repeatedly raised within and outside Parliament," said Narayanasamy’s letter.

Narayanswamy’s missive was in response to BJP Rajya Sabha MP JPN Singh writing to P Chidambaram on March 8, 2011, saying instructions issued by PM in 2006 for timely replies to MPs letters were being disregarded by "several ministers and secretaries, whereas the PM himself was complying with the instructions".