New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said M Venkaiah Naidu as Rajya Sabha Chairman was always concerned how the country can get the best from Parliament and also worked to make parliamentary committees more productive and outcome-oriented.
Addressing an event at the Parliament House complex organised by members of Parliament to bid farewell to outgoing Vice President Naidu, Modi said as far as he knows Naidu, his farewell is not possible as people will keep calling him for something or the other.
The prime minister said that in a bid to take Naidu’s legacy of advocating use of mother tongue forward, it would be a good idea to have a collection of good words spoken in mother tongue by members in both the Houses.
Modi noted that when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was being formed, Naidu said that it’s the prerogative of the prime minister to pick ministers and their departments, but he would like rural development.
“Atal ji chose him for that and he fulfilled his responsibilities very well. He also then headed urban development. So, he had his expertise in both rural and urban development. He was the first chairperson who was a member of the Rajya Sabha earlier,” Modi said.
The prime minister noted that a person who has been a member of the Upper House for long and also handled parliamentary affairs ministry, has full knowledge of what happens behind the curtains.
“His experience as chairman was useful for the treasury benches but it also used to be problematic for the Opposition as he used to know about what they will do…He made Parliament more capable and his concern was always how the country gets the best from Parliament,” Modi said.
He said Naidu also made efforts to make parliamentary committees are more productive and more outcome-oriented.
Naidu was the first such chairman who paid attention to the function of parliamentary committees and made constant efforts to bring improvements, Modi said.
“We should resolve that as MPs we come good on his expectations,” he said.
In lighter vein, Modi also said he had joked that Naidu would have faced maximum problem during Covid as he likes to travel.
“It was a period of punishment for him. He is also innovative and used this period creatively, he did ‘tele-yatra’. He used to sit with the telephone directory and call those people he had come in touch with in his public life and ask for their wellbeing and help out,” the prime minister said.
“Naidu ji will remain with us as an active friend, as an mentor and his experience will always be useful for us,” Modi said.
The prime minister said that on becoming vice president, Naidu felt pain on leaving the party but can now make up for the lost five years and will encourage his friends and colleagues.
“His life is a big legacy for us. Whatever we have learnt from him we should take it forward,” Modi said, lauding the efforts of the outgoing vice president to promote mother tongue. PTI JTR/ASK NAB NAB KVK KVK
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