GUWAHATI, Dec 24: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to members of Parliament and state legislative Assemblies to collectively strive to make the House an “ideal centre of discussions and debates” by upholding its decorum, keeping in mind the aspirations and welfare of the people.
Addressing legislators in his maiden speech at the Assembly here on Friday, the Lok Sabha Speaker underlined the need for healthy discussions and high-level debates among the people’s representatives in the House.
Birla expressed concern over the frequent disruptions of proceedings and lack of decorum and decreasing dignity in Parliament and state legislatures.
“Such disruptions and adjournment of proceedings are not part of the country’s democratic traditions. There can be differences of opinions and disagreements among the ruling and Opposition legislators. But such disagreements must be debated and discussed in a healthy manner by upholding the decorum of the House and keeping the proceedings uninterrupted,” the Lok Sabha Speaker said.
Birla said a country such as India, with its diverse cultures and traditions, is bound together by parliamentary democracy.
“Our democracy is emulated by many countries in the world. We can also take pride that elections in our democracy have been impartial. Many parties have come to power over 17 general elections and such smooth transfer of power has been the strength of our democracy,” he said.
“Therefore, on the commemoration of 75 years of the country’s Independence, we should all come together to make the democratic institutions stronger and ideal centres of healthy debates, make laws keeping in mind the hopes and aspirations of the people,” he said, adding that accountability of democratic institutions has increased and so have the expectations of people on their representatives.
“I hope that through our efforts we can work for the welfare of our people and discuss ways to take the policies and programmes to the grassroots level. For this, we have parliamentary committees through which we can talk to stakeholders, get feedback on the socio-economic changes brought about by policies and advise the government on what needs to be done in the best interests of the people,” Birla said.
“These parliamentary committees are like mini Assemblies, which need to be empowered and their suggestions addressed in order to further strengthen democracy,” he said.
Birla also launched the Assam Legislative Assembly Digital TV at a programme in the central hall of the legislature.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha recalled the rich history and traditions of the state and remembered the contributions of Assam’s first chief minister Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi and music maestro Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika.
Earlier, Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Opposition party leaders welcomed the Lok Sabha Speaker on his visit to the Assembly here, which is the first ever by any Lok Sabha Speaker.
“On behalf of the people of Assam, we welcome Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to Assam. “This is an important and historic landmark and we are going to cherish this event for a long time to come,” chief minister Sarma said.
Birla was elected as Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha on June 19, 2019.
“Some of the steps taken by him in a short span of time have not only revived the parliamentary democratic system but also contributed immensely to its enrichment. He has set a precedent for enactment of pro-people legislations and strengthened parliamentary committees,” the chief minister said.