At the conclusion of the 86th Presiding Officers Conference, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla stressed on making democratic institutions transparent, accountable and people-oriented. Called for strengthening democracy through AI, dialogue and legislative reforms.
Lucknow. At the concluding ceremony of the 86th All India Presiding Officers Conference, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla called for making democratic institutions more effective, accountable, transparent and in line with people’s aspirations. He said that through these conferences, serious discussions have taken place on linking democratic institutions with the expectations of the public and positive results have also emerged. He said that now the time has come to bring democratic institutions closer to the people through innovation, dialogue and technology.
Appreciation of leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
At the beginning of his address, the Lok Sabha Speaker welcomed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and all the respected representatives from across the country. He said that democratic values have strengthened in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi. He said that Uttar Pradesh has made significant progress in areas like good governance, social welfare, strong law and order, infrastructure development and investment.
Emphasis on strengthening democracy through meaningful discussion
Om Birla said that during the conference, all the presiding officers and representatives shared their views to strengthen democracy, and make legislative institutions more accountable and transparent. He clarified that this discussion is not limited to mere dialogue but aims to ensure concrete and positive outcomes and adoption of innovation in legislative institutions.
Resolve to move forward as per the goal of “Developed India”
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha said that it has been resolved in the conference that all the legislative bodies should continuously communicate and discuss towards developing their respective states as per the concept of “Developed India”. He said that constant dialogue with positive thinking on issues related to development and infrastructure is necessary.
The 36-hour discussion in the UP Assembly was described as exemplary.
Making special mention of Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Om Birla said that here many important topics including Vision-2047 were discussed continuously for 36 hours. He described it as an exemplary initiative, which makes it clear that the direction of long-term development can be decided through meaningful debate and dialogue.
Concern over lack of meetings in assemblies
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha expressed concern over the decrease in the number of meetings in legislative bodies. He said that many decisions taken over the years have yielded positive results, but now there is a need to move forward with more determination.
He suggested that there should be House meetings in the State Legislatures for a minimum of 30 days, there should be positive and meaningful discussions, and an environment of development should be created despite political differences.
House Last Man’s Voice Forum
Om Birla said that assemblies are the platform where the voice of the person standing in the last row reaches the government. The voter expects that his representative should raise his problems in the House and take initiative towards the solution.
Giving the example of the judiciary, he said that just as people have faith in the courts, similarly if the MLAs work with a positive attitude, then meaningful results will emerge from the Assemblies too.
Need to strengthen legislative institutions with technology and AI
The Lok Sabha Speaker said that the use of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is necessary to make legislative bodies more transparent and accountable. He told-
- All state assemblies have become paperless
- Old debates, budget and legislative proceedings have been digitized
- Research wing has been formed to promote research based discussion.
Joint effort of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies
Om Birla said that digitization will make necessary references easily available during law making. If Parliament and State Assemblies work together, the capacity of public representatives will increase and legislatures will become more accountable. This will also strengthen monitoring of governance.
Deadlock in the Houses is not good for democracy
Expressing concern over the frequent deadlock in the Houses, he said that every moment of the House is precious. Houses are for discussion, dialogue and committee work, not for obstruction. He said that there can be opposition, but through words and arguments, so that public confidence is maintained.
‘Legislative Index’ will increase efficiency
Emphasizing on the concept of Legislative Index, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that this will help in assessing the productivity, functioning and usefulness of the Legislative Assemblies. Healthy competition will bring forth new processes and innovations.
Big responsibility of presiding officers
At the end of his address, Om Birla said that the presiding officers work under the Constitution and have great responsibility. They have to make the institutions accountable to the public while remaining impartial. He expressed confidence that all the delegates will take forward the resolutions taken in the conference in their respective states.
UP is the land of change, representatives will return with new energy
The Lok Sabha Speaker expressed gratitude for the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and said that this conference gives new direction, new resolutions and new energy. He thanked Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana and all the guests. He said that Uttar Pradesh is a land of social, spiritual and change, from where all the representatives will take the energy received from there to their respective states.