Lok Sabha Speaker expresses concern on violation of code of conduct by the members in house

Adding that legislatures are fora for debates and discussions and legislators are expected to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people, Lok Sabha Speaker said that legislatures are falling short of fulfilling their constitutional mandate with the decline in the number of their sittings.

Birla said that the issue of maintaining and enhancing the dignity and prestige of our Houses is of utmost importance. All parties should make an internal Code of Conduct for Members' behaviour in the House so that the democratic values are respected.

Observing that people's representatives should follow constitutional propriety, rising above political ideology and affiliation, Birla opined that people's representatives must respect healthy parliamentary traditions while expressing their ideologies and viewpoints. He made these observations while inaugurating the 85th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC) in the Bihar Legislature Premises, Patna, today.

Emphasising that presiding officers must run houses following the spirit of the Constitution and its values, Birla said that presiding officers must establish good traditions and good practices in the houses and strengthen the democratic institutions. While strengthening the democratic institutions, presiding officers must make legislatures more accountable to the people and, through them, fulfil the expectations and aspirations of the people. He urged that on the lines of AIPOC, state legislatures should create platforms for their local bodies for their training and capacity building.

Stressing the importance of making legislatures more effective and efficient, Birla emphasised the promotion of the use of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and social media in the workings of legislatures. Highlighting that making Parliament and state legislatures more accessible to the public is the need of the hour, he suggested that information about legislative works can be made available to the general public through technological innovations.

Observing that AI-based tools can enhance transparency and effectiveness in parliamentary and legislative proceedings, Birla said that the Parliament of India has already initiated this process, which is yielding positive results. In this context, Birla informed that 'One Nation, One Legislative Platform' will be a reality by the end of 2025.

The Lok Sabha speaker said that the Houses should function in a conducive environment amidst agreements and disagreements so that higher productivity can be achieved. We need to improve the efficiency of the Houses and the committees for better accountability and transparency.

To increase the efficiency of our parliamentary committees, there should be dialogue between the committees of all the legislatures and the work of the committees should be based on ground reality so that the public money is used in a better way and maximum welfare of the public can be achieved.

Noting that the autonomy of state legislative assemblies is the basis of the federal structure, Birla observed that this power, which is reflected in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, is meaningful only when state legislatures carry out their work with impartiality and integrity. The state legislative bodies should use their powers to formulate policies in such a manner that they are following the local needs and expectations of the people and also help in the overall progress of the country.

Calling for collective efforts to make India stronger, Birla viewed that on issues of national interest, both the Centre and the States must work together with the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.'.

On this occasion, Birla also released the updated version of 'Practice and Procedure of Parliament' (8th English edition and 5th Hindi edition). This updated version, edited by Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, serves as a crucial resource for understanding the functioning and operations of the Indian Parliament.

It covers a wide range of parliamentary practices, rules, and conventions, providing valuable insights into the legislative process and the roles of elected representatives.

The release of this new edition marks a significant step in promoting transparency, effective governance, and a deeper understanding of parliamentary procedures among both lawmakers and the public.

The inauguration of the 85th All India Presiding Officers' Conference was preceded by a meeting of the AIPOC Standing Committee, which was chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. (ANI)