Belagavi: Karnataka  Assembly today adopted a joint committee report to amend House rules and procedures according to which an adjournment motion can be allowed only after the Question Hour and the Zero Hour.

It also specifies about the commencement and conclusion of the sitting, makes reply to questions compulsory, and defines terms like quorum, sitting and zero hour.

The amendments as recommended by the joint committee comprising members from the assembly and the Legislative Council, was moved by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra.

  The committee in its suggestion has stated that subject to the provisions of the rules, a motion for an adjournment of the business of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance be allowed only when there is failure on the part of the government to perform the duties enjoined by the Constitution and it shall be made with the Speaker's consent after Question Hour and Zero Hour.

Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar (BJP) opposed the amendment regarding the adjournment motion.

It was the "right" of the opposition and ten minutes of  time should be allotted for making the preliminary submission  at the beginning of the day's sitting, he said. 

The joint committee, headed by Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad and Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy  was constituted to bring uniformity in the rules and procedures followed in both the Houses and streamline it.

On the commencement and conclusion of the sitting, the  committee suggested that sittings of the House shall, unless the Speaker otherwise directs, ordinarily commence from 10:30  hours to 14:00 hours (morning sitting) and 15:00 hours to  18:00 hours (afternoon sitting).

Noting that reply was compulsory, it says replies to all the questions listed for oral and written answers shall be  furnished at least by 15:00 hrs on the day prior to the date  on which the question is listed for answer.

Provided that if the House is adjourned sine die, for  any reason, before the actual date of adjournment as per the  provisional programme, the questions admitted for the period  shall be deemed as tabled on the last day of the closure of  the House, and answers to the same shall, unless otherwise  permitted, be furnished to the assembly secretariat within 15  days from the closure of the session as per the bulletin for  onward transmission to Members, it added.

  Defining certain House terms, the report said "quorum"  means one tenth of members of the total number of members of  the House, while "sitting" means the sitting of the members of  the House for transacting business on any day from its  commencement till the adjournment of the House for the day.

"Zero Hour" means the period immediately after the  question hour, laying of Secretary's report, papers to be laid  on the table and committee's reports, if any and before the  list of business of the day is entered upon.

During this, any member who wishes to raise any matter of urgent public importance that has occurred between the sittings and which cannot be raised under any other provisions of the rules with the permission of the Speaker can do so.