Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla (File photo)
NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over “planned” deadlocks in the House, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday underscored the need for comprehensive dialogue among all political parties and elected representatives. The Speaker also urged the media to give prominence to viewpoints of elected representatives engaged in “factual and substantive” discussions, so that there can be “healthy competition for constructive dialogue” among members.Birla was speaking at the Valedictory Session of the 11th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Conference, hosted by Karnataka Legislature in Bengaluru. He said the aim of such conferences is to ensure legislatures can function without “planned deadlocks” in future.Mooting setting up of a National Legislative Index to rank state assemblies and councils on their performance, Birla told reporters on the sidelines of the event, “We will take a view on National Legislative Index at the meeting of presiding officers at Lucknow in Jan next year.”He said performance of state assemblies could be assessed on the basis of parameters such as number of sittings held every year, productivity of the House, quality of debates, adoption of technology, and efficacy of various committees. The three-day conference concluded with the valedictory speech by Karnataka governor Thawarchand Gehlot. As president of CPA India Region, Birla stressed that rather than halting proceedings based on ideological or political differences, legislators must resolve to keep the House functioning.He described India’s democracy and its Constitution as a “guiding light” for the world in the current global context. “India’s ancient democratic traditions continue to inspire and guide the legislative system in the country,” he noted.Reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to building ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, he called on the presiding officers of all state legislatures to ensure the goal came to fruition through positive and people-centric discussions. He emphasised the need to increase duration of debates and number of sittings during legislative sessions.During the conference, four resolutions were adopted – to eliminate deadlocks and disruptions inside the Houses to increase public trust in democratic institutions, strengthen research and reference branches of state legislative institutions with collaboration of Parliament, ensure greater use of digital technologies in legislative institutions, and increase participation of youth and women in democratic institutions.
