CHANDIGARH, Jun 9: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said that frequent interruptions and disruptions in the Houses pose a serious challenge to democratic institutions.
He underlined that the solution to this problem lies within the legislative institutions themselves by promoting conduct aligned with public expectations, dialogue, and meaningful discussion.
He was addressing the second Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Zone-II Conference here on Tuesday evening.
The conference, which was inaugurated on Monday by Birla, concluded with the valedictory address by Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh.
Addressing the valedictory ceremony, Birla stated that frequent interruptions and disruptions in the Houses pose a serious challenge to democratic institutions.
Birla said, “…We are also concerned about the House frequent interruptions and disruptions in a planned manner. This is the biggest challenge of present times…”
He underlined that the solution to this problem lies within the legislative institutions themselves by promoting conduct aligned with public expectations, dialogue, and meaningful discussion.
Strengthening public trust is the greatest responsibility of all public representatives today, he said.
He informed that the conference concluded with four important resolutions aimed forming a strong foundation for the future, through which the legislative and democratic institutions of the country will progress with public cooperation.
The dream of a Developed India (Viksit Bharat) is anchored on strong parliamentary and legislative institutions. To achieve this, it is absolutely essential to increase public participation, maximize the use of technology, enhance the capacity of legislators, ensure the involvement of citizens in framing policies and laws, and raise awareness toward the Constitution and constitutional institutions, he said.
Birla laid special emphasis on increasing the participation of youth and women in democratic processes, cultivating awareness about the Constitution and a sense of duty right from student life, and making the development of states the bedrock of national development.
Presiding Officers from the legislatures of 12 states across the country participated in the conference where they unanimously adopted four key resolutions, an official statement said.
The conference underscored that an informed society, strong democratic institutions and capable public representatives are essential for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat-2047, it said.
The conference resolved to further strengthen dialogue and engagement between legislators and citizens through outreach programmes and public awareness initiatives.
Delegates also emphasized the promotion of constitutional values and the responsible use of technology to help build a society that is informed, aware and empowered, and capable of actively contributing to the realization of the Viksit Bharat vision.
The conference further recognised that effective and accountable governance requires competent and knowledgeable lawmakers. To achieve this objective, participants agreed on the need to strengthen the capacity building of public representatives through continuous professional training, exchange of best parliamentary and legislative practices, adoption of modern technologies and enhanced research support.
Delegates also stressed the importance of strengthening legislative oversight mechanisms, enhancing public confidence in democratic processes and ensuring greater citizen participation in policy formulation as well as its effective implementation.
The participants called for promoting the wider use of digital technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven decision-making processes to make public service delivery more transparent, efficient and accessible. Delegates expressed confidence that technology-enabled good governance would help improve administrative efficiency while ensuring better delivery of services to citizens.
Nearly 40 speakers from across parties participated in the two-day event and representatives from various political parties engaged in serious discussions during the conference.
In addition to the member states of CPA Zone-II — Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Delhi — Presiding Officers from other state legislatures including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and West Bengal also participated.
Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, and the Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly, Harvinder Kalyan, also shared their views.
Harvinder Kalyan expressed hope that all participants would gain new experiences and valuable insights from the technical session and play a meaningful role in the nation’s development.
Speaking on the occasion, Speaker, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Narendra Singh Tomar said that the deliberations held during the conference would yield valuable outcomes that would prove to be milestones in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat-2047.
Describing India’s unity in diversity as the nation’s greatest strength, he said that everyone is working collectively to strengthen democracy, which is why India is counted among the world’s leading nations today.
Speaker, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Vasudev Devnani appreciated the Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker for selecting the theme, “Role of an aware society and representatives of the people in facing future challenges and realising the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat-2047”.
Speaker, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Satish Mahana, in his address, urged legislators to work continuously for public welfare and expressed satisfaction that people are increasingly discussing economic issues, describing it as a positive sign of a progressive nation.
Speaker, Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Pathania said that India can become a developed nation only when all states progress equally while Speaker, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather encouraged young legislators to focus not only on modern technology but also on research and innovation. (PTI)
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