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Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh on Monday, expressed his concern over the business of legislative bodies and said that it is time to make these institutions more dynamic and effective.
He was speaking in the inaugural session of the 85th All India Presiding Officers Conference (AIPOC) in Patna today. In his remarks, Harivansh recalled the rich civilisational history of Bihar. He said that this history is also visible in the influence of members from Bihar in the freedom struggle and framing of the constitution. India is at an important phase of its development journey and our legislative institutions must be dynamic to keep the constitutional values relevant for the future. The Deputy Chairman further said that leaders like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Sachchidanda Sinha, Babu Jagjivan Ram, and Jaya Prakash Narayan played a critical role in deepening the democratic culture at the grassroots. In addition to these, the contributions of other members from Bihar in the constituent assembly such as Babu Guptnath Singh, Jaipal Munda, Chandrika Ram, and Tajmul Hussain, must also receive more recognition. He further said that before Independence, Bihar was at the forefront of many landmark moments in India's freedom struggle. The Champaran Satyagraha in 1917-18, and the Quit India Movement in 1942 are examples in this regard. This also translated to key legislative changes like land reforms in later years. He also emphasised that the Indian constitution has remained flexible and evolved with time. As a result, it has withstood the test of time while many other nations in the region have struggled to do so. Harivansh said that in the coming years, our legislative institutions need to be dynamic and forward-looking to fulfil the aspirations of the country. He noted the important role played by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in upholding various constitutional values. He said that under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Bihar became the first state to implement 50% reservation for women in their local bodies in 2006. It is pertinent to note that the theme of the conference is to commemorate the 75th year of the Constitution and the role of the legislature in strengthening constitutional values. Speaker Lok Sabha Om Birla, Speaker Bihar Vidhan Sabha Nand Kishore Yadav, and Chairman Bihar Legislative Council Awadhesh Narain Singh were also part of the inaugural function. This is the third time Bihar is hosting the AIPOC Conference. It was previously hosted in 1964 and 1982. (ANI)
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