Lucknow, Jan 20 (PTI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday emphasised the need for healthy competition among state legislatures on parameters such as excellence, innovation and use of technology.
He was addressing the participants on the second day of the 86th All India Presiding Officers Conference (AIPOC) at the Vidhan Mandap, which is the venue for the conference.
Recalling the discussions held during the AIPOC at Dehradun in 2019, he reiterated his long-standing views on improving the efficiency and functioning of state legislatures. He said a committee has been constituted, which is examining issues related to the standardisation of practices and procedures of legislative bodies in India.
Crediting Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana for employing good practices, Birla said he had visited it before, but this time, it truly seems like a “symbol of vibrant democracy”.
The Lok Sabha speaker said Mahana’s active participation (stands out) among the speakers, and his unwavering faith in rules and procedures inspires and guides everyone.
Mahana has implemented democratic values, best traditions, and good practices in the country’s and the “world’s largest legislative assembly”, the Lok Sabha speaker said.
He added that the experiences of the elected representatives, especially those with notable achievements, such as doctors, engineers, and chartered accountants, have been utilised, and the experiences of various professional groups have also been put to good use.
A 13-minute short film was screened at the conference about the changes implemented under the assembly speaker, including a women-only session and youth dialogues.
Birla said, “The Uttar Pradesh Assembly organised separate sessions for women and youth to increase women’s participation in politics and to inspire women in all states. To increase the participation of youth in democracy, youth dialogues and discussions were organised, and very good efforts were made here.” The Lok Sabha speaker said the best practices, traditions, changes in rules, participation in democracy and new experiments of any legislative assembly are inspiring, and that is “precisely why we sit down for discussions”.
He said, “In my six-year tenure, I have seen the changing nature of democratic legislative assemblies. I visited some and then visited them again two, three or four years later, and all the speakers had made changes and made great efforts for the active participation of society.” Birla said that this was also discussed in the Standing Committee meeting, and he hoped that if valuable suggestions are given, a committee will be formed soon within the ongoing conference to work towards building greater public trust in state legislative assemblies and democratic institutions and to strive for positive outcomes from discussions and dialogues.
In his address, he further highlighted the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing the efficiency of legislatures and also outlined the various steps required to make this technology appropriate and reliable.
Underscoring the practical use of AI in Parliament and various modes of its implementation, he stressed the need for greater coordination between Parliament and state legislatures so that institutional knowledge of legislatures can be effectively utilised by both Parliament and state legislative assemblies.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh inaugurated the conference on the second day.
Deliberations on Tuesday included three themes — leveraging technology for transparent, efficient and citizen-centric legislative processes, capacity building of legislators to enhance efficiency and strengthen democratic governance and accountability of legislatures towards the people, an official statement issued here said.
On the third and final day of the conference, Birla will deliver the valedictory address. The closing ceremony will also be attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who will address the conference.
The 86th AlPOC began in Lucknow on January 19 and will be held till January 21. PTI ABN AR/NAV PRK
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