The first communist speaker of Lok Sabha Somnath Chatterjee completes one year in office on Saturday, earning bouquets and brickbats through a period in which the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance often resorted to disruptions and boycott on various issues.
The period witnessed frequent turmoil in the House over issues like the 'tainted' ministers, despite the speaker going an extra mile to pamper an agitated opposition with which he had an uneasy relationship.
A highlight of the year was Chatterjee's proactive approach on questioning the Supreme Court's verdict in the Jharkhand assembly issue in which he felt the apex court had crossed the 'Lakshman Rekha' set by the Constitution.
Though an all-party meeting convened by him on the issue was boycotted by the BJP and the Congress later sought to distance itself from the outcome, Chatterjee had his moment of glory when the Presiding Officers' Conference convened by him endorsed his viewpoint.
Another action of the speaker that endeared him to several members of Parliament was his questioning the Election Commission's authority to prevent the MPs from entering their own constituencies.
There have been many a firsts in the 12 months of Chatterjee's speakership which includes showing Zero Hour live on TV and telecasting the entire proceedings of Lok Sabha live on satellite channel DD Lok Sabha.
By doing this, the speaker has virtually extended the Visitor's Gallery of the House to every home in the country.
He has also mooted a proposal to set up an independent commission to determine salaries and allowances of MPs to replace the present system of MPs deciding their own salaries.
Chatterjee has also started efforts to evolve consensus on opening up of committee proceedings.
The speaker, for some members, appeared to be a hard taskmaster as he revised the guidelines on tours of parliamentary committees, listing out a 19-point 'do's and don'ts' to the honourable members, which was not liked by some who felt its tone and tenor was offending in nature and showed the MPs in poor light.
The speaker also enforced strict discipline on Indian parliamentary delegations on tours abroad for bilateral visits as well as international conferences.
As per the maxim of 'charity begins at home', Chatterjee himself refused to travel by luxurious or bullet-proof vehicles while on tours and he also did not accept an official vehicle for spouse or accept official monetary allowances while on tours abroad.
He has also continued to pay out of his own resources for expenditure incurred for day-to-day hospitality at his official residence.
Besides, he has brought about a drastic reduction of expenditure in the Speaker's Office and has issued strict instructions against its misuse for seeking or giving undue favours.
Chatterjee has also donated a month's salary and allowances and Rs 11 lakh from the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme fund for the cause of tsunami victims, apart from donations to organisations working for the handicapped.
In view of West Bengal Assembly Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim's two decade-long experience as presiding officer, Chatterjee has made him the candidate for the post of chairman of the Executive Committee of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association instead of himself becoming a candidate.
Chatterjee has taken keen interest in the creation of the state-of-the-art Parliamentary Museum and Archives, which will be ready by August 15 next year, besides taking steps to make Parliament's library facilities available to researchers.
