Presiding officers, legislators must strengthen public trust in legislatures: LS Speaker Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday stressed the need to further strengthen public trust in legislative bodies and said the responsibility of making these democratic institutions more credible and accountable to the people rests with presiding officers and elected representatives.

Addressing the 86th All India Presiding Officers' Conference here, he said that although innovations such as live telecast and digitisation have helped take legislative proceedings directly to the public, several challenges still remain and need to be addressed.

Birla said it is primarily the responsibility of the speakers of state legislatures and public representatives to make legislative assemblies more authentic and people-centric.

''We come from different political parties and ideologies, but when we are elected, people expect us to raise in the House their aspirations, challenges and difficulties,'' the Lok Sabha Speaker said.

Referring to the two-day conference, Birla said that through discussions and exchange of views, presiding officers would reaffirm their commitment to making democratic institutions more accountable and result-oriented so that issues raised in legislatures lead to positive outcomes.

Highlighting the importance of both the ruling party and the opposition, Birla said that while legislative assemblies witness constructive discussions, they also have disagreements.

''Consensus and dissent are the strength of our democracy. When all viewpoints are expressed, democratic values are strengthened. This is why dialogue and discussion during this conference are important to enhance public trust in these institutions,'' he said.

Birla also noted that several reforms have been introduced in Parliament and state legislatures to enhance public confidence, including the formation of standing committees, live telecast of proceedings, and harmonisation of rules and procedures across states and the Centre.

He said after consultations with presiding officers of state legislatures, several changes in the rules have been made while remaining within the constitutional framework.

''We can proudly say that through discussion and dialogue, India has demonstrated to the world that parliamentary democracy is the best democratic system,'' Birla added.

Emphasising the need for the impartial role of presiding officers in legislative bodies, Birla said, ''We must uphold and implement the finest traditions of our legislatures. As presiding officers of legislative assemblies, our role should be just and unbiased, ensuring that everyone gets the opportunity to express their views.

''It is our responsibility to provide time to all members to voice their emotions, as well as speak about the challenges and difficulties of their constituencies.'' He further said, ''Let us emerge from this conference with the resolve that our role will be fair, impartial and uninterrupted. Regardless of which political party we are elected from, once we assume the office of a presiding officer, we must not only appear to be just but also function in a just manner, because the nation is watching us, and so are the people of our states.'' Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his greetings and best wishes for the successful organisation of the conference.

Presiding officers from legislative assemblies of 28 states and three Union territories, along with representatives from six legislative councils, are participating in the conference.

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana read out the prime minister's message to all the presiding officers attending the conference.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Leader of the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey were among those present on the occasion.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)