Coming out strongly against the frequent use of ordinances, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Wednesday asked the government not to resort to such measure unless unavoidable.
"All governments should see to it that an ordinance is not promulgated unless unavoidable," Chatterjee observed after Professor Rasa Singh Rawat (Bharatiya Janata Party) opposed the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2005 while moving a statutory resolution on the matter.
"An ordinance should not be made when the House is in session," the Speaker said and added that this ordinance was, however, not a misuse of the Constitutional provision.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram said he bowed down to the Speaker's observation, and admitted that an ordinance in taxation matters should not be promulgated.
But, he added that certain reasons compelled the government to bring in the ordinance.
"The settlement arrived at on the Dabhol situation after tortuous negotiations would have fallen through if not given a legal basis within a particular period. Also the Indian Airlines and the Air India had not completed the aircraft lease by September 30, which called for amendment to the Constitution," he said while replying to the statutory resolution.