New Delhi, January 20: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed concern and anguish on the planned disruption of house proceedings, a trend of decline in the number of sittings and erosion of dignity and decorum of Legislatures, as per a statement from the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Adding that Legislatures are fora for debates and discussions and legislators are expected to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people, Lok Sabha Speaker cautioned that legislatures are falling short of fulfilling their constitutional mandate with the decline in the number of their sittings. He urged lawmakers to prioritize efficient scheduling and effective utilization of parliamentary time in order to address pressing national issues and ensure that the voice of the people is adequately represented. He also observed that the issue of maintaining and enhancing the dignity and prestige of our Houses is of utmost importance, the statement added.
Birla suggested that all political parties should make an internal Code of Conduct for their members' behaviour in the House so that democratic values are respected. Observing that people's representatives should follow constitutional propriety, rising above political ideology and affiliation, Birla opined that people's representatives must respect healthy parliamentary traditions while expressing their ideologies and viewpoints.
He made these observations during the inaugural address of the 85th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC) in Bihar Legislature Premises, Patna on Monday.
Emphasising that Presiding Officers must run Houses in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution and its values, Birla opined that Presiding Officers must establish good traditions and good practices in the Houses and strengthen the democratic institutions. While strengthening the democratic institutions, Presiding Officers must make legislatures more accountable to the people and through them, fulfil the expectations and aspirations of the people.
He urged that on the lines of AIPOC, State legislatures should also create platforms for their local bodies for their training and capacity building.
Stressing on making Legislatures more effective and efficient, Birla exhorted the Presiding Officers to promote the use of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media in the working of legislatures. Highlighting that making Parliament and State Legislatures more accessible to the public is the need of the hour, he suggested that information about legislative works can be made available to the general public through technological innovations.
Observing that AI-based tools can enhance transparency and effectiveness in parliamentary and legislative proceedings, Birla said that the Parliament of India has already initiated this process which is yielding positive results. He also expressed happiness that many Legislative Assemblies in the country have become paperless.
In this context, Birla informed that 'One Nation, One Legislative Platform' will be a reality by the end of 2025.
Birla stressed that the Houses should function in a conducive environment amidst agreements and disagreements so that higher productivity can be achieved. He also emphasised improving the efficiency of the Houses and the committees for better accountability and transparency. To increase the efficiency of our Parliamentary Committees, there should be a dialogue between the committees of all the legislatures, and the work of the committees should be based on ground reality so that the public money is used in a better way and maximum welfare of the public can be achieved, the Speaker observed, it added.
Noting that the autonomy of State Legislative Assemblies is the basis of the federal structure, Birla observed that this power which is reflected in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution is meaningful only when state legislatures carry out their work with impartiality and integrity. The Speaker observed that the State Legislative bodies should use their powers to formulate policies in such a manner that they are by the local needs and expectations of the people and help in the overall progress of the country, the release mentioned.
Calling for collective efforts to make India stronger, Birla viewed that on issues of national interest, both the Centre and the States must work together with the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'. He also emphasised that the state should work on the spirit of 'Cooperative Federalism'. Referring to the role of legislatures in this regard, Shri Birla vehemently noted that legislatures must play an active role in making the nation develop and Atmanirbhar.
On this occasion, Birla also released the updated version of 'Practice and Procedure of Parliament' (8th English edition and 5th Hindi edition). This updated version edited by Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, serves as a crucial resource for understanding the functioning and operations of the Indian Parliament.
It covers a wide range of parliamentary practices, rules, and conventions, providing valuable insights into the legislative process and the roles of elected representatives. The release of this new edition marks a significant step in promoting transparency, effective governance, and a deeper understanding of parliamentary procedures among both lawmakers and the public, the release added.
The inauguration of the 85th All India Presiding Officers' Conference was preceded by the meeting of the AIPOC Standing Committee which was chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
