By Nishant Ketu
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 21 : Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Wednesday that a 'National Legislative Index' will be prepared to make legislatures more effective, people-oriented and accountable.
In his valedictory address at the 86th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC), held at the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Bhavan, Lucknow, he also said that a minimum of 30 sittings per year should be ensured in State Legislatures so that legislatures can become an effective platform for the expression of people's aspirations.
He said the National Legislative Index which would facilitate a healthy competition among the legislatures, enhance quality of dialogue and efficiency among Legislatures across the country. He also informed that a committee has been constituted in this regard.
AIPOC concluded successfully with the valedictory address by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh also addressed the gathering.
In his remarks, Om Birla said that apart from facilitating a healthy competition among the legislatures, a 'National Legislative Index' will enhance quality of dialogue and efficiency among Legislatures across the country. He also informed that a committee has been constituted in this regard.
He said that the more the House functions, the more meaningful, serious and result-oriented discussions will be possible.
The Lok Sabha Speaker also addressed a press conference.
Responding to a question on ensuring smooth conduct of proceedings during the forthcoming Budget Session, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that continuous planned disruptions and disturbances in the House are not appropriate for the country's democracy.
When disruptions take place in the House, the greatest loss is suffered by the citizens. He said that we must strengthen the culture of Discussion and Dialogue, not Disruption.
He appealed to leaders and Members of all political parties to cooperate in ensuring smooth functioning of the House and said that in a democracy, "the people are supreme, and our accountability towards the public is not only during elections, but every day and every moment".
Birla said that Presiding Officers are not merely those who conduct proceedings, but they are the sentinels of the Constitution and the custodians of democratic decorum. Their impartiality, sensitivity and firmness determine the direction of the House.
Six resolutions were adopted at the 86th All India Presiding Officers' Conference:
According to a release, the first resolution said that all Presiding Officers will re-dedicate themselves to the conduct of proceedings of their respective Legislatures, so as to contribute towards achieving the national goal of 'Viksit Bharat' by the year 2047.
"By building consensus among all political parties, a minimum of thirty (30) sittings per year should be held in State Legislative bodies, and the time and resources available for legislative work should be used constructively and effectively, so that democratic institutions can remain accountable to the people," the second resolution said.
The third resolution said that use of technology to enhance the ease of legislative work will be continuously strengthened, so that effective engagement between the people and their Legislatures can be established and meaningful participatory governance can be ensured.
"To continue providing exemplary leadership to all institutions of participatory governance, so that the nation's democratic traditions and values become deeper and stronger," the fourth resolution said.
The fifth resolution called for continuously supporting capacity building of Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies in the effective use of digital technology and to strengthen research and analytical support to ensure effective participation of public representatives in debates and discussions in Legislatures.
The sixth resolution called for creating 'National Legislative Index' for objective evaluation and comparative assessment (benchmarking) of the performance of legislative bodies based on objective parameters, to establish a conducive environment for promoting healthy competition with greater accountability in public interest.
In the plenary session, discussions were held on three major themes: Leveraging technology for transparent, efficient and citizen-centric legislative processes; capacity building of legislators to enhance efficiency and strengthen democratic governance; and accountability of Legislatures towards the people.
Thirty-six Presiding Officers from 24 States and Union Territories of the country participated in the conference. In terms of participation, the 86th AIPOC was the largest so far.
Birla also said that platforms such as the All India Presiding Officers' Conference promote cooperation among democratic institutions, strengthen mutual coordination and prove helpful in making governance more effective.
The 86th AIPOC has proved to be a significant milestone in the direction of making Indian parliamentary democracy more robust, accountable and people centric, a release said.
The conference was held days before the budget session of Parliament, which begins on January 28.
The Union Budget will be presented on February 1.