From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sep 23: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has called for greater engagement with local bodies by the state legislatures at the grassroots level as he maintained that doing so would enhance the participation of the public in the democratic system.
“By doing so, they (the legislatures) would be discharging their responsibilities of fulfilling the needs and aspirations of people more effectively,” the Lok Sabha Speaker said in his address at the Executive Committee meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region in Parliament House on Monday.
It may be mentioned that Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas Sangma, accompanied by senior assembly officials and officials of the state government, was also part of the meeting.
Later, presiding over the plenary session of the 10th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Conference held at the Parliament House complex, Birla emphasised the important role played by the Parliament of India and the state legislatures in realising the dream of a developed India.
“Building a self-reliant and developed India is not possible without the cooperation and support of legislative bodies,” he said.
Suggesting that the legislative bodies should confer about various platforms and shape public welfare schemes through technology, the Speaker said that at a time when technology and communication media have become a part of the daily lives of people, public representatives should find ways and means to fulfil the growing aspirations and expectations of the people from democracy through legislative bodies.
Birla further remarked that the Constitution of India is the strongest example of the spirit of inclusive governance and the historic laws passed by the Parliament of India have accelerated the pace of development and made India’s progress more inclusive.
Urging democratic institutions to ensure accountability and transparency of the Executive and make governance more responsive and efficient, the Speaker said that legislative bodies should play their role effectively by streamlining rules and best practices and procedures.
He said the future of India will be bright only by making the governance system in accordance with the hopes and aspirations of the people. “In the fast-changing world, India can emerge as an ideal democratic nation through inclusive participation and responsible governance,” Birla remarked.
The Speaker then exhorted the presiding officers and legislators to reflect on how far they have been successful in fulfilling the expectations and aspirations of the people as the legislative body of the country in the journey of the last seven decades.
Birla said that without this introspection, the dream of inclusive development cannot be realised.
The Speaker also said that during the P-20 summit, which was held in India, the presiding officers had emphasised the need to ensure a strong, stable, balanced and inclusive development of nations, while underlining the role of legislatures in this process.
Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh, and presiding officers of legislative bodies of several states of India, Sangma, participated in the plenary session, which was thematised on ‘Role of Legislative Bodies in Sustainable and Inclusive Development’.