A crisis of credibility is haunting public representatives because of corruption charges and absenteeism, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday as he asked the state's legislators to set high standards.
Addressing newly elected MLAs of UP at an orientation programme in the Tilak Hall of the Vidhan Bhawan here, he said that if there is any institution in parliamentary democracy that is answerable and accountable to the people, it is the legislature.
"We have to go back to the people after five years. Hence, we are answerable and accountable. Can we expect any judge or any executive official going to the people after every five years? Certainly not," he said.
He said that even people who retire from the judiciary, armed forces or bureaucracy either to become MLAs or MPs.
Yet fingers are raised on MPs and MLAs, Adityanath said adding that he was of the view that fingers can only be raised when there is some scope.
"A crisis of credibility which is haunting us can be attributed to our absence from the House and allegations of corruption levelled against public representatives. The bad deeds of an individual brings bad name to the entire system," the chief minister said.
He said the orientation programme had been organised so that the people's representatives become a symbol of credibility.
It is my earnest desire that the UP Legislative Assembly becomes a model for all the legislative assemblies in the country, he said.
Sharing his experience as Gorakhpur MP, Adityanath said, "Instead of shouting and creating ruckus in the Assembly, it is better that the point is conveyed properly and effectively.
It has the power to find solutions to many problems."
He said that the assembly must meet for at least 90 days in a year.
"In recent years, the House sat for 20-25 days. Can we run the House for 90 days? This is a challenge," he said.
Adityanath said that the House functioning for 90 days would also mean that all tehsil offices or police stations too would function better as the respective MLAs would raise in the Assembly if there is any issue.
He told the legislators that every word spoken by them would be a source of inspiration for the future generation.
"The words spoken by you will become a property of the Vidhan Sabha. Your words and behaviour will determine your 'krititva' (deeds) in future," he said.
In the training and orientation programme, 238 newly elected MLAs were among the legislators who took part.
During the two-day training, the newly-elected MLAs will be imparted knowledge about the parliamentary and legislative procedures by veteran parliamentarians, senior legislators and also Assembly Speakers of other states, Principal Secretary Vidhan Sabha Pradeep Dubey said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will address the MLAs on the concluding day of the event on Thursday.