LS Speaker should be impartial: Balayogi

HYDERABAD, April 1: A speaker presiding over the Lok Sabha can do justice to his office only when he is absolutely impartial, particularly u...

HYDERABAD, April 1: A speaker presiding over the Lok Sabha can do justice to his office only when he is absolutely impartial, particularly under a government functioning with a slender majority, Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi said today.

Speaking to mediapersons, Balayogi, who arrived in the city for the first time after assuming office as Speaker, said it was his ambition to uphold the traditions and conventions followed by his predecessors. Saying that the 12th Lok Sabha comprised 288 newly-elected MPs, he said it was necessary to organise orientation courses for them on procedures followed in the House.He said that unlike a Speaker in the Assembly, he could not wield powers like switching off the mike or seeking the help of marshals when situations called for effective control of the members. Business in Parliament was transacted on the basis of convention and tradition and the Speaker had to utilise his persuasive capacity to secure members8217; cooperation.

As the Standing Committee was the finalauthority on the procedures followed in the Lok Sabha, it was also necessary to strengthen the Standing Committee, he felt.

In spite of the demands imposed by the high office he was holding, Balayogi promised to try his best to secure clearance for all the pending projects in Andhra Pradesh. He suggested that all MPs elected from the state should make concerted efforts to get the clearances setting aside political differences.He admitted that the use of Hindi by most of the members was causing him difficulty but added that he could overcome it shortly.

He said that he could become Speaker due to the confidence reposed in him by Telugu Desam Party leader and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, to whom should go the credit for electing a Dalit8217; to the high office after 50 years of Independence.

Balayogi said that he was planning to organise an annual all-India conference of Speakers in Hyderabad in October and that he had discussed the matter with the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Y Ramakrishnudu.