From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, May 2: Meghalaya Legislative Assembly is counted among the most disciplined Assemblies in the country where the dignity and prestige of the House has been maintained through meaningful debates, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Tuesday while inaugurating a three-day orientation programme for legislators of Meghalaya in Parliament House that is being attended by newly-elected members and even some veterans.
A staunch propagator of democratic discipline among the legislators, whether in Parliament or in the Assemblies or Councils, Birla also opposed the idea of preplanned disruption of houses for a long time which he said does not benefit the people who have elected the representatives.
The MLAs were led by Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma and included Power Minister AT Mondal, former chief minister Mukul Sangma, Congress Legislature Party leader Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, former Speaker Charles Pyngrope, and former Home minister Lahkmen Rymbui, among others.
The Speaker thanked Birla for organising the orientation programme and expressed hope that it would help in capacity building of the members.
During the programme the legislators will be provided training in Parliamentary procedure like legislation making, types of items to raise in the Assembly, common issues and privileges committee systems. The orientation program aims at providing an in-depth overview to MLAs about legislative functioning.
The Lok Speaker, who emphasised on the need of making rules related to laws within the stipulated time, suggested that the Rules Committee of Assemblies should meet regularly, review the rules and ensure that the rules and acts are amended as per the demand of time. The effect of legislation should be studied and reviewed by the Legislative Assemblies, he said.
Birla also suggested strengthening the research division of the Legislatures. In this regard, he informed that work is being done in the direction to ensure that the debates of all Assemblies and libraries of all Assemblies are available on a single digital platform.
Leader of Biju Janata Dal in the Rajya Sabha, Dr Sasmit Patra in his interaction urged the MLAs especially the first-timers to get acquainted with the legislative procedures so that they can raise the matter of the state in right earnest. They should give priority to the problems of their own constituencies first from where they have been elected since they are answerable to the people, he said.
Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary General, Lok Sabha delivered the welcome address and S. Prasenjit Singh, Additional Secretary proposed the vote of thanks. This orientation programme has been organised by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) for the newly-elected members of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
New MLAs meet President
Newly-elected MLAs of the state, cutting across party lines, met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday.
The President expressed happiness that there were several new faces in the Meghalaya Assembly. She advised the legislators to take up their work seriously, especially in interior and undeveloped areas.