Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Friday that India, as the world’s largest democracy, has made significant strides in social and economic development over the past 75 years.
He said that since independence, the responsibility of enacting new laws has been carried out by both Parliament and the state assemblies. While outdated British-era laws have been abolished, new laws have been enacted to meet current needs.
Birla made these remarks during a press conference after inaugurating a two-day orientation programme, organized in collaboration with the Parliamentary Democracy Research and Training Institute (PRIDE) of the Lok Sabha, at the Haryana Vidhan Sabha here today. Haryana Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan was also present on the occasion.
He said that since the responsibility of enacting new laws lies with both the State Assemblies and Parliament, training legislators, especially new ones, is important to ensure they have a thorough understanding of legislative procedures.
This, he said, will facilitate more informed discussions and dialogues on the bills introduced in the state assemblies, ultimately benefiting the public in the future. He further added that democracy is strengthened through proficiency in legislative work.
Birla highlighted that the work of Parliamentary committees functions like a mini-Parliament. These committees not only review the budget but also play a crucial role in bringing transparency and ensuring accountability within the executive.
He said that the more competent elected representatives are in legislative work, the better they will be able to meet public expectations and excel in leadership roles.
He also said that, through PRIDE, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has organized training programmes for legislative drafting in 15 states. The quality of legislative drafts directly impacts the public’s benefit, he added.
Referring to all public-elected institutions as mini-assemblies, Birla stressed the importance of extensive discussions on public welfare in institutions such as Gram Panchayats, Gram Sabhas, Nagar Palikas, Zilla Parishads, and Panchayat Samitis.
He suggested that positive suggestions for legislative work should also be taken through Gram Sabhas. He added that the more serious and participatory these discussions are, the more they will help in controlling the executive, improving governance, and curbing corruption.
He shared that PRIDE has successfully organized training programmes in over 100 Parliaments and institutions across the world. In addition, camps have been held in various states of the country for elected representatives, officials, employees, as well as for panchayats, municipalities, and cooperative institutions.
Praising the state of Haryana, Birla remarked that the sacred message of the Gita originated from this land. He highlighted that just as the youth of Haryana protect the country’s borders, the farmers here ensure food security, and the players bring honour to the nation.
He also lauded the state Assembly for its rich democratic history, noting the vast experience of its MLAs. He also praised the Haryana Assembly for continuously increasing the number of meetings and fostering better discussions on the budget.
He acknowledged the Assembly’s innovative steps to enhance the efficiency of its MLAs. Furthermore, he commended Haryana for rapidly progressing toward a paperless assembly. He hoped that the training programme will undoubtedly benefit the legislators especially newly elected public representatives.
Terming the deliberate deadlock in legislative work as inappropriate, the Lok sabha Speaker said that such conduct is not suitable for the country and the state. He pointed out that planned deadlocks waste valuable legislative time. He said that there should be better discussions and dialogues on all matters in the state assemblies.
Referring to the two-day orientation programme, he said that MLAs are elected by the public, and the public has high expectations from them. This training programme has been organized with the goal of addressing key aspects such as raising public issues in the assembly and ensuring their resolution, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of government policies.