Will create consensus among parties for minimum 30-day sittings of assemblies: Om Birla at presiding officers’ meet

Thirty-six presiding officers from 24 states and Union Territories participated in the conference.

Birla said a total of six resolutions were taken unanimously by the presiding officers, including developing a “National Legislative Index” to set accountability and healthy competition among legislative bodies; continue harnessing digital and emerging technologies to improve the ease of doing legislative business; providing “exemplary leadership” to all participatory governance institutions; capacity building of legislatures, particularly in an efficient use of digital technologies and strengthening research and knowledge support systems to enable more informed and effective participation in debates and discussions and calling upon the presiding officers to rise above partisan considerations and uphold fairness, dignity and democratic traditions at legislative forums.

The Losk Sabha Speaker said the proposed National Legislative Index will benchmark the performance of legislative bodies on the basis of objective parameters, fostering a culture of healthy competition, transparency and greater accountability in public interest.

The target is to ensure that by the end of 2026, proceedings of all the Vidhan Sabhas across the country are brought on a single platform, he added.

In his address, Birla said as the Lok Sabha session is set to start from January 28, an attempt would be made to ensure that MPs are encouraged to deliver their speeches in their languages to give the message of “unity in diversity” to the entire world.

“The constant planned disruptions and obstructions in the House are a matter of concern. This is not appropriate either for the country or the democracy. The House’s time is precious — be it discussion, dialogue, agreement or disagreement. The House should only be for discussions and dialogue and not for disruptions,” he said.

“This is the reason why resolutions have been taken to hold discussions with all political parties to end these disruptions. There is a need to re-dedicate to conducting legislative business in a manner that contributes meaningfully to achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047,” he said.

After the conference, Birla said the Union Budget would be tabled by the Finance Minister on February 1 and the parliamentary session will conclude on February 13.

Speaking on the occasion, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the legislature is the basic pillar of democracy and the most effective forum through which the voice of the last person in society reaches the government. “The legislature is the foundational unit of democracy. While discharging its role as the custodian of the Constitution, it does not merely frame laws but also serves as an important platform for planning holistic development,” the CM said.

He said the constitutional values of justice, equality and fraternity form the soul of Indian democracy and find their most meaningful expression in legislatures. Adityanath said India is fortunate to have strong democratic institutions that serve as a source of inspiration for the world. Citing reforms in the UP Assembly, Adityanath said changes in Question Hour rules were introduced to ensure wider participation by members. — PTI inputs

Caption: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana on the concluding day of 86th All India Presiding Officers Conference, in Lucknow on Wednesday. Express