The idea of a parliamentary probe committee to examine opposition allegations of irreg .ularitie* in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation. Water Development and Flood Control was all but abandoned yesterday.

The fate of the committee appeared to have been scaled in the Jatiya SangsadfJS) last night following the failure of the treasury and opposition benches to agree on the committee's terms of reference.

Seventeen legislators of both benches debated the terms of reference, proposed by Speaker Shaikh Razzak AH in the House for more than four hours yesterday evening.

The Speaker, while proposing the terms .in black and white, maintained that the committee should investigate

only Into the specific allegations made against the Agriculture Minister and his ministry by Awami League (AL) lawmaker Tofael Ahmed In the House on June 26.

The chair argued that since the proposed committee was to be a special body under a particular clause of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament. It had to probe Into specific allegations only.

The treasury bench accepted the Speaker's proposal but the Awami League rejected. It saying that limiting the scope of tn vestlgations would frustrate the spirit behind the committees, formatfon.

The AL demanded that the terms of reference submitted by it on Monday be accepted by the

Jatiya Party leader Barrister

Moudud Ahmed, Jamaat-e-Islaml leader Matlur Rahman Nizami, Workers Party leader Rashed Khan Menon and Suranjft Sengupta of the Ganatantri Party urged the Speaker to take more time before finalising the committee s mandate for the sake of unanimity. These leaders felt that the committee would not be able to function effectively without a consensus on the terms of

The treasury bench leaders, on the other hand, argued that there are parliamentary standing committees on each and every ministry to monitor their regular functions

The concept of a special par itamentary probe committee arises sole ly In cases of ‘special and specific allegations, they maintained.

Speaker Shaikh Razzak All rejected the idea of reviewing the proposed terms of reference, saying he had done enough home work on the subject

The Speaker also provided the House with a 12-page set of arguments on the terms of reference he had proposed.

"Since there was no consensus on my proposal, the issue has died a natural death," the Speaker told the House before adjourning the proceedings at 11:47 last night.

Parliament will resume at 4 this afternoon.