Udaipur (Rajasthan), Aug 21 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said Legislatures, be it the Parliament or the State Legislative Assemblies and Councils, it is the responsibility of public representatives to uphold the faith of the people in the Legislature.
During inauguration of the Ninth Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Conference at Udaipur on Monday, Birla said that it is the duty of public representatives to ensure that Legislatures work for the socio-economic welfare of the people, Lok Sabha Secretariat communique said.
People’s representatives must maintain exemplary conduct and etiquette that enhance prestige and dignity of the House, said Birla.
“Presiding Officers should act according to dignity of chair and conduct proceedings impartially,” said Birla.
Addressing the Presiding Officers and legislators present in the Conference, Birla observed that Legislatures, be it the Parliament or the State Legislative Assemblies and Councils, represent the hopes, dreams and aspirations of 140 crore Indians. Therefore, it is the responsibility of public representatives to uphold the faith of the people in the Legislature, stressed he, the statement said.
Birla said that legislators should strive to strengthen democracy and enrich parliamentary traditions, it said.
Mentioning the immensely important role of legislatures in good governance, Birla observed that constructive and meaningful debates on citizen-centric governance must be at the heart of legislative functioning. He added that people’s representatives must maintain exemplary conduct and etiquette that enhance the prestige and dignity of the House and thereby deepen and strengthen peoples’ faith in legislative institutions, the statement said.
Observing that people expect legislators to hold meaningful discussions in the legislatures to solve their difficulties by guiding the Executive in formulating public welfare policies, Birla stressed that this can happen only when the public representatives behave and act as per the highest standards of discipline and decorum in the House and in public life. In this context, he also emphasized on the impartiality and neutrality of Presiding Officers, and noted that Presiding Officers have a special responsibility to conduct according to dignity of the Chair and ensure that House runs in an impartial manner. When a Member occupies the Chair of Presiding Officer, his responsibility enhances manifold, noted Birla.
He expressed hope that the all Presiding Officers will try their best to maintain the dignity and prestige of their exalted position. Legislatures are for for debates and discussions on all issues beyond political partisanship, Birla further added, it said.
Referring to the impact of technological innovations in contemporary times, Birla said that in this era of cutting edge technology and artificial intelligence, appropriate use of innovative technologies like robotics, machine learning, blockchain and artificial intelligence will go a long way in bringing efficiency and transparency in the functioning of legislative bodies. He added that the widespread use of information technology will lead to increased accountability and transparency in governance and will ensure that Legislatures function more effectively and efficiently contributing to the socio-economic betterment of the people.
“Using modern technology, we have to create such an effective system, within which the public can give their suggestions and feedback to the public representatives or democratic institutions regarding the rules or if there are any discrepancies in the laws,” Birla added.
He urged the democratic institutions to involve the youth, women, students and eminent persons from different sections of the society to make policies more inclusive so that they can benefit all the stakeholders, it said.
